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Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival at Independent Shakespeare Company

Dates: 6/1/2024 - 8/31/2024


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The Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival returns for its 2024 season, running from June 1 to August 31. Produced by the Independent Shakespeare Co., this cherished outdoor event has become a staple in Los Angeles, attracting thousands with its imaginative performances of classic plays. Known for fostering a diverse and vibrant community, the festival aims to make Shakespeare accessible to audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

Cast and Creative Team for Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival at Independent Shakespeare Company

Creative Team

Bridget Stokes
Producer
Bridget Stokes
Director
Bridget Stokes
Board Member
Suzanne Prescott
Board Member
Dale Nelson
Board Member
Bridget Stokes
Co-Executive Producer

News About Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival at Independent Shakespeare Company

Interview: David Melville His New Solo Show HAMLET (SOLUS)

March 13, 2025

The title role in Shakespeare’s enduring tragedy Hamlet is on the bucket list for many actors wishing to challenge their range of emotions while offering their own interpretation of the iconic role. And in his new solo play, Hamlet (Solus), creator and performer David Melville (pictured), co-founder of Independent Shakespeare Co., plays all the roles while intertwining the text with original songs. I decided to speak with David about his interpretation of the role he has played many times, including why he decided to stress the grief in the story as well as making (the skull of) Yorick an important character, and how the production evolved.

Independent Shakespeare Co. Reveals New Board President and Board Member

May 10, 2024

Independent Shakespeare Co. (ISC), Lara Pranger has been unanimously elected as the new chair of the Board of Directors. Lara serves as Director, IT Applications at Fifth Season, a media and entertainment company focused on delivering quality content that reflects a diverse and inclusive audience. 

Review: JULIUS CAESAR at Independent Shakespeare Company in Griffith Park

July 23, 2023

Atmosphere, this CAESAR has aplenty. What David Melville’s production does not have this time is particularly strong acting. Players in several key roles felt miscast, out of synch with their own characters, with fellow players or, in some cases, both. As a result, the production is not great at making us emotionally invest.

Interview: David Melville on Directing Shakespeare's Gritty Political Thriller JULIUS CAESAR

July 9, 2023

Given recent events and political drama, including propaganda used to sway the public, nothing should surprise modern audiences when it comes to politics. But perhaps the most well-known dramatic representation of political intrigue takes place in Shakespeare’s classic play Julius Caesar, which centers around the events that led to his assassination by Roman senators on the 'Ides of March' (March 15) 44 B.C.E.  I decided to speak with David Melville about how the production will differ from more traditional staging and why he decided it would be a good fit for audiences.

The Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival Returns This Summer

June 10, 2022

Independent Shakespeare Co. (ISC) announces the anticipated return of an entire summer (10 weeks) of the Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival following 2020's virtual season and 2021's shortened season. The location is the Dell at the top of the Old Zoo near the intersection of Crystal Springs Drive and Griffith Park Drive.

Independent Shakespeare Co. Presents Iambic Lab: Creativity In Action

February 4, 2022

Independent Shakespeare Co. (ISC) presenters of the Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival, announce the annual festival celebrating theater, iambic lab, beginning Sunday, February 20 and running through Sunday, February 27. All offerings are presented free and online. iambic lab is an exploration and celebration of the ways we communicate through the art of theater.

BWW Interview: ISC's David Melville & Melissa Chalsma On Being Free, Social Awareness & The Future

August 3, 2020

As live theatre remains in lockdown, Independent Shakespeare Company (ISC) is morphing their Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival into a free, livestreaming program of four FESTIVAL EVENTS on Saturdays in August, and a hybrid stage production of ROMEO & JULIET Labor Day weekend. ISC's co-founders David Melville & Melissa Chalsma were most gracious in answering my emailed queries on their twenty-plus-years-old theatre organization.

ISC Adds New Staffer, Carene Mekertichyan, Artistic Associate For Social Justice

July 1, 2020

Independent Shakespeare Co. (ISC), producers of the Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival, announces the establishment of the new position of Artistic Associate for Social Justice. Filling this position is Carene Mekertichyan. She will identify and facilitate strategies of interaction between ISC and the Los Angeles community in an effort to proactively dismantle systemic injustices.

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