Shakespeare in Delaware Park’s 50th anniversary means more shows, more experiences and more summer memories.

By Lindsay DePietro 

(Above: Upcoming performances graphic via shakespeareindelawarepark.org).

Shakespeare in Delaware Park is kicking off their 50th anniversary season tonight (June 19) with the performance of “Twelfth Night.”

“Twelfth Night,” a romantic comedy by Shakespeare, is scheduled to be performed every Tuesday through Sunday at 7 p.m., beginning June 19 and running until July 13.

Performances will start back up again July 24 with the debut of “Richard III,” which will come to a close on August 17.  

Like every year, both performances will be held at Shakespeare Hill in Delaware Park, and as always, these productions are free of charge and open to the public. 

According to their website, “Shakespeare in Delaware Park is a not-for-profit professional theatre company.”

The company has survived for 50 years through fundraising and the generosity of sponsors and donations.

Although they have kept the experience on Shakespeare Hill relatively the same from year to year, some events and performances have been added throughout this year in honor of the 50th anniversary.

“We brought back our Fabulous Feast celebration, which was back in March, [and] we started off our season last week with our touring production of ‘Romeo & Juliet Abridged,’ which is touring through 25 different venues throughout Western NY all summer,” Lisa Ludwig, executive director of Shakespeare in Delaware Park, said.

She added that this year, they will be doing a collaboration with Road Less Traveled Productions for Curtain Up, with a co-production of “The Book of Will.”

Back on Shakespeare Hill, audience members will have the opportunity to purchase some special memorabilia this year.   

“We have a lot of fun 50th anniversary merchandise for people to help celebrate the milestone,” Ludwig said.

Merchandise includes items such as T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, pint glasses and hats. One 50th anniversary T-shirt will have all previous shows listed on the back, dating back to the very first one ever performed. 

“It’s always fun at the hill. Over the years, everybody likes to wear their old T-shirts, so when you see people wearing T-shirts from the 20th anniversary or something, it’s just really fun,” Ludwig said. 

She hopes to have a vintage T-shirt event one night up on the hill this summer where audience members can wear their vintage T-shirt for a prize. Ludwig is looking to pick a date for this festivity. 

As for the selection of plays, “Twelfth Night” was chosen two years ago for the 50th anniversary season. 

There is an artistic committee who decides what plays will be performed each season, Ludwig explained.

This committee consists of knowledgeable individuals, whether they are a member of Shakespeare in Delaware Park, a past director or teacher or a Shakespeare expert. 

Directors submit a proposal to the committee and the decision process goes from there. 

“When our committee got together for last season, they really liked Eileen Dugan’s proposal of ‘Twelfth Night’ and felt it would be perfect for our 50th season,” Ludwig said 

She added that they then were in search of a special director that has directed for their theatre in the past. They wanted to bring back a familiar face for the 50th season. 

Greg Stuhr, who is currently on Broadway with George Clooney performing “Good Night and Good Luck,” agreed to come back and direct “Richard III.” 

“We had about 185 actors come in to audition for us this year, and the nice thing about both of our shows, our main stage shows especially, it’s a mixed group of actors, being it’s a lot of audience favorites who are back on the stage, and a lot of new people who have never worked with us before,” Ludwig said. 

She expressed her thoughts on some people’s hesitancy to watch Shakespeare. “When we’re in high school, they force us to read Shakespeare, and sometimes it’s daunting for people and they think that they don’t get it, or that they don’t understand it, and the thing is about Shakespeare is, it’s meant to be seen and heard and shared.” 

Ludwig went on to say that she always likes to tell people not to let a bad experience with Shakespeare, like being forced to read it in middle school or high school, stop you from coming to Shakespeare in Delaware Park.

“Twelfth Night” is a romantic comedy involving themes such as love, loss, gender roles and identity and deception. 

Ludwig explains, “There is a shipwreck. There’s twins separated at birth. There’s mistaken identities. There’s a love triangle and there’s a couple of comedians that run in and try to cause problems throughout.”

She said, “I guarantee once you’re sitting in that park, you know, in the beautiful Olmsted Park, under the stars, having a picnic and your favorite beverage, with your friends or family, [it will be] an awesome experience.”

So bring your blanket and your chairs, grab some friends, pack your favorite snacks and go enjoy a live Shakespeare performance you won’t forget.