Free Shakespeare in the Park Returns to Cupertino’s Memorial Park Amphitheater
Shakepeare's The Two Gentlemen of Verona begins performances on July 19.
San Francisco Shakespeare Festival has announced that the 2025 Free Shakespeare in the Park production of Shakespeare’s The Two Gentlemen of Verona will return this summer to Cupertino’s Memorial Park Amphitheater, performing Saturdays and Sundays at 6 pm, July 19 to August 3. The show will run approximately 90 minutes without intermission.
This spirited adaptation follows two young men as they journey from a small Midwestern town – rooted in simplicity and tradition – to the alluring promise of California, where dreams are made and shattered in equal measure. The two friends who venture westward confront their inner conflicts as they are seduced by the possibilities of love, success and reinvention. Grounded in the spirit of exploration, this adaptation captures the quintessential drive for self invention, while acknowledging the costs that often accompany it. It’s a fast-paced journey of mistaken identities and misguided affection that will leave you laughing—and questioning what true friendship and love really mean.
Director Ely Sonny Qrquiza holds an unwavering belief in the remarkable power of equity and representation in storytelling to bridge the divide and differences amongst us.Through his art and advocacy, he is breaking down barriers and elevating marginalized voices for the American Theatre. Assistant Director Katja Rivera looks forward to collaborating with Ely and the talented cast on this "classic romcom that blends humor with social insights!"
This will be the Festival’s second Free Shakespeare in the Park presentation of The Two Gentlemen of Verona, having staged it in 2010, directed by Kenneth Kelleher. It was also a popular Shakespeare on Tour production in 1997 and 2005-06, when it toured schools, libraries, and community centers throughout the state.
San Francisco Shakespeare Festival has been performing Free Shakespeare in the Park in the beautiful Memorial Park amphitheater each summer since 1993. In 2024 Cupertino’s Free Shakespeare in the Park program was at risk due to a $30,000 deficit created by the City of Cupertino’s budget cuts. A successful fundraising campaign replaced the lost funding and the show went on! Local heroes stepped forward, answering the emergency call put out by SF Shakes, with funding secured from the Rotary Club of Cupertino, Cupertino Library Foundation, San Jose Water District and Sheila Mohan's Mayoral Fund. Many community members shared emails and social media posts, and twenty- seven individual donors contributed financial donations ranging from from $25 to $2000.
Sponsors for the 2025 Free Shakespeare in the Park performances in Cupertino include Heidelberg Materials, West Coast Community Bank, Cupertino Library Foundation, San Jose Water District, Applied Materials Foundation, City of Cupertino, Bill Graham Memorial Foundation, Shakespeare Theater Association, and Theatre League of Kansas City.
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