For those who didn’t get their outdoor iambic fill this summer, another Shakespeare play is popping up along Dallas Road.
Shakespeare by the Sea is staging A Midsummer Night’s Dream nightly at 7 p.m. until Sept. 2 at Holland Point Park, in a relaxed and intimate setting for 100 guests each night.
“There is no Bard on the Beach here yet, but we’re going to be it,” said director Robert Light, who already has plans to expand to two plays next summer.
“You look out onto the Juan de Fuca and Olympic mountains; it’s the perfect backdrop,” he said.
As part of the process, the organization is holding a two-week education program for young actors, ages 8 to 12 as well as 13 to 19, to teach the essentials of Shakespearean acting.
Students will then appear onstage as fairies and elves in the Sept. 1 and 2 performances.
The 20-actor playbill is made up of local professional and community actors, including UVic acting students, who have been rehearsing for the past two and a half months.
Light, who has been involved in more than 80 plays in his career, said the success of A Midsummer Night’s Dream will see it return next year, along with a tragedy like Macbeth.
“This is a very educated and artistic city. We know the audience is there and they want to see our show,” he said.
Call 250-213-8088 or go to vicshakesea.ca for more information.