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Shakespeare
has left the park Shakespeare in the Park will not be “in the park” this summer. Instead, it will be held at TCU and Stage West beginning in June. Besides the venue change, the event is changing its name to the Fort Worth Shakespeare Festival for its 25-year anniversary. Mark Waltz, managing director of the Allied Theatre Group at Stage West, said Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew” and George Bernard Shaw’s “Pygmalion” will be performed in TCU’s Hayes Theatre located within the Walsh Center for Performing Arts. A third show, which is yet to be determined, will be performed at Stage West, he said. Shakespeare in the Park began in 1977 and was previously held at the Trinity Park Playhouse in Fort Worth. Waltz said moving the plays indoors will be beneficial. “Since the festival is usually outdoors and in June, many performances have been canceled because of the weather,” he said. “One year from the next, we didn’t know what was going to happen.” But at the same time, Waltz said organizers wanted to keep the festival’s outdoor setting. He said jugglers, picnics, Renaissance dancers and fencing will be among the outdoor festivities. “An important part of this festival has been it being outside,” Waltz said. “The weather is so fickle, but we tried to keep the best of both worlds.” Forrest Newlin, chairman of the TCU theatre department, said a class called Summer Repertory Theatre will be offered in the summer for people involved in the festival’s productions. An apprentice company of TCU students will also be created to make sets and costumes and perform in the “Taming of the Shrew” and “Pygmalion,” he said. “This is a win-win situation,” Newlin said. “It is an advantage because students want professional experience. With this profession, it’s good to have contacts.” Matt Moore, a junior theatre major, said he hopes he can be one of those students. “Usually I don’t go to the festival, but I’m going to stay around for this one,” Moore said. This is a great opportunity for TCU. I just hope students stay around for it.” Newlin said the festival could help recruit future students. “This is a big step in the right direction of forming a relationship between the university and the community,” he said. “The exposure will hopefully get people to feel comfortable on campus, and then they might even choose to attend.” Kelly
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