ARTS COUNCIL OF BIG SKY
BIG SKY – Montana
Shakespeare in the Parks returns to Big Sky’s Town Center Park at 5:30 p.m. on
Monday, Aug. 19, for a performance of “Merry Wives of Windsor.”
Duels, deceit and
attempted seduction alight in this comedy featuring the beloved Sir John
Falstaff, which attendees will watch in glee as he tries to fool two clever
women and, instead, has the tables turned on him. “Merry
Wives of Windsor” will be directed by guest director Marti Lyons
and will provide a night of pure merriment for the audience.
As one of the region’s
most anticipated summer events, Montana Shakespeare in the Parks brings
professional productions, at no cost to the public, to communities throughout
Montana, northern Wyoming, eastern Idaho, western North Dakota and eastern
Washington. Remarkably self-reliant, the company features 10 professional
actors, selected by national audition, who tour without any technical assistance
in their pursuit to bring live theater to various communities, primarily those
in rural areas. This summer, 66 percent of the communities
reached by the troupe have populations of 5,000 or fewer.
Montana Shakespeare in the
Parks’ inaugural season took shape in 1973, and since that fateful opening
performance has performed over 2,250 times for nearly 750,000 people, cementing
itself as a mainstay of Montana culture. The company’s contribution to the
cultural fabric of Montana and its unique ability to serve the most remote rural
areas of the region has been chronicled by Montana PBS, NBC Nightly News, The
Wall Street Journal, The New York Times along with many others.
In 1991, after nearly two
decades, the company was fully recognized for their contributions and was named
the recipient of the Montana Governor’s Award for the Arts, the highest honor
that can be bestowed on an arts organization in Montana.
All performances of
Montana Shakespeare in the Parks are free and this performance is made possible
through a collaboration between the Arts Council of Big Sky and the Big Sky
Resort Area District tax board.
Audiences are encouraged
to show up prior to the scheduled curtain time with chairs, blankets, a picnic
supper and friends and family to enjoy the evening.
Visit www.bigskyarts.org for more
information on this event and the Arts Council of Big Sky.
