Island Park site for troupe's 'As You Like It'
The Bard is back at Island Park in Geneva. The Midsummer Theatre Troupe will present a free production of William Shakespeare's "As You Like It" at 6 p.m. Saturday, July 17, at the park.
Admission is free; a $5 donation is suggested. Free parking is available at the government center on First Street. It's just a short walk across the covered bridge across the Fox River to Island Park.
Seating begins at 5 p.m. and is "Ravinia-style"; those attending should bring blankets and chairs as well as picnics. Food will be available for purchase from Mill Race Inn, Stockholm's and Graham's.
Preshow entertainment includes recorder and flute performances, as well as two dance pieces by State Street Dance Studio.
"As You Like It" is one of Shakespeare's great comedies noted Toni Hix, artistic director of Midsummer Theatre Troupe.
Rosalind, the daughter of a banished duke, falls in love with Orlando, the disinherited son of one of the duke's friends. When she is banished from the court by her usurping uncle Duke Frederick, Rosalind disguises herself as a boy. She travels with her cousin Celia and the Jester to the magical Forest of Arden, where her father and his friends live in exile.
Themes about life and love, including aging, the natural world, and death are included in the play. New friends are made and families are reunited. By the end of the play, Oliver, the older brother who banished Orlando, becomes a changed man who falls in love with Celia. Duke Frederick has a spiritual awakening, so the exiled Duke Senior, Rosalind's father, can rule once again. Four couples marry at the end, in the magical Forest of Arden.
Now in its fourth year, the Shakespeare in the Park event is designed to make Shakespeare accessible to everyone, said Vic Portincaso, event chair and Geneva Cultural Arts commissioner. "The play is condensed to 90 minutes, and the slapstick humor of the comedy is something everyone can enjoy."
The play is a good event for families, Hix noted, "because we do our best to make it as theatrical as possible. Children will be entertained by the funny characters in the play. We always find ways to use contemporary music that is popular at the present time."
People who don't like Shakespeare usually have a hard time with the language, she added. "We always try to concentrate on the physical," showing the audience what Shakespeare is actually saying.
"This summer, the production will have a Cirque du Soleil feeling," Hix said. "The Forest of Arden will become a 'magical' forest. We will use the most popular instrument today - the ukulele."
The Midsummer Theatre Troupe is now in its 12th season as a mobile theater company that brings Shakespeare to as many people as possible. The troupe performs in several venues in Kane and DuPage counties each summer. Performers fill their cars with tents, set pieces, costume and a stellar sound system. For more information on the theater troupe, follow them on Facebook at Midsummer Theatre Troupe.
The Geneva Cultural Arts Commission was formed in 2007.