Like temperatures creeping closer to the 90's and pollen covering all of metro-Atlanta,
Georgia Shakespeare's trip to
Piedmont Park has become an annual rite of spring. After eight years as "Shake at the Lake", Georgia Shakespeare is readying a remount of last summer's hit comedy "Much Ado About Nothing" for their second year in front of the Legacy Fountain with "Shakespeare in the Park." The show runs May 1st-5th at 7:30pm, with doors opening at 6:00pm.
Starting in 2004, in part to celebrate Piedmont Park's 100th Anniversary, Georgia Shakespeare left their traditional home at Ogelthorpe University in an attempt to reach out to the broader community. Producing Artistic Director and co-founder Richard Garner said these outdoor productions were inspired by
Joseph Papp's legendary free productions at Central Park's Delacorte Theatre, and the Georgia Shakespeare board was looking to provide something similar for the Atlanta community. "We were hoping when we created this that it would become a spring tradition," Garner said.
Nearly a decade later, Shakespeare in the Park has become an event for Georgia Shakespeare fans and actors alike. "Even though it's a show they've already done," Garner said, "there's such a different vibe outside. The actors love the outdoor energy." That energy was enhanced last year when the production moved to their new location that nearly doubled the audience capacity to 1,800; and despite the larger size, Garner said the site provides a "surprising intimacy."
The outdoor vibe provides a sense of history as well, harkening back to the days when Shakespeare's shows debuted at the open-air Globe Theatre. "There is something to returning to the roots of Shakespeare," Garner said. "I think people get that, the outdoors and Shakespeare just kind of fit together really well."
This year's production of "Much Ado About Nothing" returns nearly all of last summer's stars (including
Suzi Bass Award winners
Joe Knezevich and Courtney Patterson as Benedick and Beatrice). While Georgia Shakespeare often experiments with their settings of the Bard's plays, this production is a traditional approach to a comedy that feels very modern. "(The show is) a period, lush, Elizabethan production," Garner said. "With the script of 'Much Ado About Nothing' and how this cast handles it, it's so fun and lively."
In addition to returning the majority of July's cast, Georgia Shakespeare will be recreating their Ogelthorpe Conant Center stage and rebuilding the exact set, with some site specific enhancements. "We are going to flank (the set) on the left and the right with 20 foot towers that will look like they are part of the villa," Garner said. "That will help frame it in. Our set designer Kat Connelly thought that would really help focus things visually."
Also in efforts to enhance the outdoor production, the stage will be two feet higher than it was for last summer's "The Tempest" and all actors will be wearing microphones, so that they can be heard throughout the park. Also, their new location in front of the Legacy Fountain puts them adjacent to the Botanical Gardens parking deck and a fully-functional restroom facility.
In a change to their tradition, instead of having to go to the park to pick up free tickets on the day you plan to attend the show, Georgia Shakespeare will be giving out free tickets on Saturday, April 27th from 9am-1pm in the Green Market area of
Piedmont Park. If you can't make it on Saturday, you can purchase general admission lawn seats for $10 or reserved seats for $20 by calling
404-504-1473 or visiting Georgia Shakespeare's
website.
For more information on the event, including details about concessions by Happy Belly Truck, check out their Shakespeare in the Park
FAQ.
Photo: Ann Marie Gideon and Courtney Patterson
Photo Credit: Georgia Shakespeare
