Shakespeare in the Parks tours the west in ambitious 53rd season

It's still an hour before show time in Big Timber at Lions Club Park, and the audience is beginning
to arrive and get comfortable for "As You Like It" by Montana Shakespeare in the Parks.

THE PLAY'S THE THING BUT HARD WORK GOES INTO PRODUCING A RIGOROUS TOUR

 

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS

Actor Avery Johnson offers programs,
either an old-fashioned paper playbill or
if preferred, a code to scan.
 

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

"Perseverance... keeps honor bright" 

from Shakespeare's "All's Well That Ends Well"

 MONTANA SHAKESPEARE in the Parks has been happily persevering for 53 years.

That's how long a dedicated company of talented actors and technical wizards has been sharing Shakespeare's magic with rural communities in an impressive five-state region. Through rain, wind, heat, cold and occasional hail, the show goes on.  The West's notorious weather swings do not prevent the company from performing in 60 towns across five states, June through September.

THE ENSEMBLE schlepps set, costumes and equipment to parks, fairgrounds, school yards and other venues, packing the collapsible set in a tidy truck. With free performances held under open skies and only donations asked of those who attend, this treasured summer tradition invites audiences of all ages.

They gather faithfully for an evening of storytelling, connection, and culture.

A look back at the project, click here

Dressed in period costumes, from left: Calvin Adams, Sam Cheeseman 
and Nadja Simmonds check messages on their phones before going on stage.

THE DIRECTORS choose two works -- usually a comedy and a tragedy. This year's romantic comedy, “As You Like It” speaks to the joy and complexity of love, identity and the transformative power of nature. Fans know it features Rosalind, a complex female character, as she ventures into the Forest of Arden with a colorful cast of characters.  Artistic director Kevin Asselin promises the same high quality production values his grateful audiences have come to expect. He also thinks "Henry V" will have modern meaning as it grapples with themes of leadership, moral complexity and power. "Henry must listen, reflect and learn while inspiring, persuading and unifying," says Asselin. "All timely considerations," says Asselin.

The ensemble charms wherever it tours, including
educational outreach. Here, they gather at Tippet Rise
for a production. The arts venue is near Fishtail, Montana.

Asselin explains the Bozeman based company’s mission as "bringing togetherness and unity to rural communities." The actors come to the company's base at Montana State University. They are an amiable group, from cities and towns across the U.S. We find the actors and crew always eager to visit, share their knowledge and act as vehicles to connect the audience with the troupe. "Together, we do a much greater thing," Asselin says. He emphasized that recent political events have cut into federal funding, and usual grants are imperiled. Thus, private and corporate contributions are vital to the program's survival, he said.

SEVERAL of the stops involve towns close to one another, enabling people to see both plays on the docket, one in each venue. "It's great in towns where we can pair -- like Lewistown and Utica."

The two venues are only 36 miles apart, "so residents can easily see both shows. In that respect, we bring locals together,” he said, "to get to know one another's communities." Larger cities such as Bozeman and Billings usually have the company in residence for a couple days.

The 2025 tour includes venues from Beach, North Dakota, to Afton, Cody and Powell, Wyoming, Driggs, Idaho,  eastern Washington state, and many Montana venues. 

An audience in Fishtail Family Park last season. This
year's Fishtail performance was "As You Like It" July 11. 

“We are dedicated to bringing high quality work by talented artists, who see something greater than themselves, to great audiences who otherwise would not have this opportunity.”

— Joel Jahnke - artistic director emeritus and company founder
 

FOR THIS 53rd season, eight professional actors from across the U.S., are enacting a lively rendition of the two classics. The company has been seen by more than 750,000 people during 2,250 performances since 1973.  It also presents an educational school tour, sharing Shakespeare with more than 12,000 middle and high-school students each season-- and a few lucky adults.  This year's tour travels from Kalispell to Plentywood, Bozeman to Hardin and Sidney, dipping down into Wyoming to Cody, Powell, Meeteetse, Worland and Buffalo.

"The Three Musketeers" drew raves in its 2023
season, a rare departure from Shakespeare.

With all the moving about, packing up, striking the set dozens of times, "We feel the acting is the reward," says actor Avery Johnson. "We work so hard then we get to do what we really love!"

Click here for schedule, more info

 

The historic Grand Hotel in Big Timber is
undergoing a loving facelift. We take readers
to the "redo" of this 1890 Montana landmark. 

ON TAP: As summer reaches its peak and travelers are exploring, an historic Big Timber, Montana, hotel is returning to its glory days, thanks to artful restoration plans by an enterprising family with long ties to ranching, farming, Montana and the West. The Grand Hotel's facelift began on the ground floor and is continuing to the upstairs rooms with Kim and Steve Germain and their daughter, Jessica, at the helm of the restoration. The Germains plan to name the vintage looking rooms after characters of the old west, and are excited to be restoring the Sunday brunch in the restaurant and other traditions -- live music, gourmet dining and a unique boutique hotel experience. Remember to explore, learn and live and catch us weekly for a fresh spin on travel, dining, nature, performance, art, family and more. Please share the links: Click here for more whereiscookie

Click here for more on Grand Hotel