Monday, June 30, 2008

Shakespeare in the Park

One thing that defines summer in Buffalo is free outdoor concerts and festivals.  We take advantage of every last day of good weather to find something to celebrate - Greek heritage, Polish heritage, good food, the local rivers, art, strawberries, our closeness to Canada...  You name it and we celebrate it!  
One of those free summer festivals that I think is especially unique to our area is the Shakespeare in Delaware Park series.  Each summer a local group performs two of Shakespeare's plays on an outdoor stage near the Rose Garden in Delaware Park.  Each season includes one of Shakespeare's tragedies and one of his comedies.  This year, the performances will be "King Lear" and "The Merry Wives of Windsor."  The shows start at 7:30 pm on Tuesday-Sunday evenings during July and August.  (Check out www.shakespeareindelawarepark.org for the exact dates and other details.)  The shows are really well done, but more importantly, they are free, although the cast circulates in the crowd during intermission, asking for donations.  You can bring food, kids, dogs - the whole shebang! - and be as formal or as casual as you like.  The crowd ranges from art lovers with elaborate champagne picnics to families with KFC takeout!  There are port-a-potties set up nearby for the duration of the performances, and if the show gets too long for you, you can wander down to Hoyt Lake, play on the nearby playground, or take a walk on the park's paths (but be careful after dark, okay?).  I know that Shakespeare is not for everyone, but I just wanted you all to know that this option was out there.  Enjoy!

Here are directions from the Buffalo Ward Chapel:




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