Cincinnati Shakespeare Company blends comedy and fun through free Shakespeare in the Park
Are you and your family looking for your next summer outing? The Cincinnati Shakespeare Company celebrating their 30th season presents free Shakespeare in the Park.
This family friendly event is for all ages. Bring a lawn chair or a blanket to relax and enjoy the show.
“We’re a resident ensemble company. Bringing Shakespeare and the classics to life for everybody,” said Justin McCombs, the company manager.
While the company is celebrating their 30th season, it’s their 17th season showcasing Shakespeare in the Park.
According to McCombs, the company averages seeing 10,000 community members each summer enjoying their shows.
“We go everywhere from all the way down in Maysville, Kentucky and out to Portsmouth, Ohio,” said McCombs.
In total the company makes 40 stops every summer. Despite traveling to a wide range of cities, they spend most of their time performing in the Queen City.
This year’s Shakespeare in the Park consists of William Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors.”
As the company manager, McCombs had the opportunity to direct “The Comedy of Errors” play.
He explained that he wanted the play to feel bright and colorful due to the play taking place in the 1980s. McCombs also described the play as a chance for older members of the community to have a fun walk down memory lane.
The Comedy of Errors entails two sets of Twins who continuously get mistaken for one another according to McCombs.
“I think it’s Shakespeare’s most accessible play because it’s light and there’s a simple kind of concept. The audience always gets to be one step ahead of the characters,” he said.
McCombs explained that the audience will get to laugh and enjoy the play as the hilarious misunderstanding of the twins unfolds.
From mistaken identity to love triangles and misadventure, the Comedy of Errors could be the laugh that you and your family needed this summer.
“It’s our chance to go into the community, share Shakespeare, show that it can be accessible and a fun story to tell,” said McCombs.
Shakespeare in the Park is being held now until September 2 and is available at a variety of community parks in the Greater Cincinnati area.
For more information on show times, dates and locations for Shakespeare in the Park, go to cincyshakes.com.
