The Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre Festival at the University of Central Arkansas is the only one of its kind in the state. And in true festival fashion, if you plan it just right, you can attend a whole season of shows in one weekend.
As the state’s only professional Shakespeare company, each year it produces a selection of the Bard’s plays, along with other productions, in its summer festival in Conway. The diverse acting company includes out-of-town professionals, locals and students from several colleges.
For the sixth year, it will tour the state for one production; this year it’s “The Taming of the Shrew.” Housed in UCA’s College of Fine Arts and Communication, AST now has almost a dozen touring locations all over the state.
“We started with shows in Argenta in North Little Rock and expanded the next year to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville,” executive director Mary Ruth Marotte says. “The tour allows us to bring the show to audiences that may never otherwise be able to see live theater, much less professional Shakespeare.”
While following the tour of “The Taming of the Shrew” might appeal to some hardcore festival attendees, that production, along with three others, also will be performed on UCA’s campus.
AST opens its 11th season June 9 with “Love’s Labour’s Lost.” Directed by AST producing artistic director Rebekah Scallet, “Love’s Labour’s Lost” will be presented outside on the lawn at UCA. The witty romantic comedy features an epic battle of sexes, as a group of young men who have sworn off women in favor of their studies find themselves falling in love. Audiences are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs and blankets, as well as picnic supplies to enjoy this production. Mosaique Bistro of Conway will also be on hand to sell food and drinks.
The following week, on June 16, AST will open Meredith Willson’s crowd favorite “The Music Man,” the tuneful musical about a con man who shows up in a small Iowa town to sell band instruments.
On June 23, AST will open the acclaimed tragedy “Julius Caesar,” the famous retelling of the infamous leader’s assassination and its aftermath. Both “The Music Man” and “Julius Caesar” will be produced at UCA in the same intimate on-stage seating arrangement that has become a hallmark of the company’s work. Robert Ramirez, head of the acting program at the University of Texas at Austin, will make his AST debut directing “Julius Caesar.”
“The Taming of the Shrew,” a one-hour adaptation of Shakespeare’s epic battle of words, will have a limited run at Reynolds Performance Hall in addition to touring throughout the state. This is also AST’s family Shakespeare production for 2017.
Marotte says a family Shakespeare selection is an important part of AST’s mission “to make some folks’ first experience with Shakespeare non-threatening and accessible.”
“The family Shakespeare allows audiences to come out for a shorter production that kids and adults alike can enjoy,” she explains. “Young kids are drawn in by the music and artistry, and oftentimes audience members are asked to engage with the performers in some fun way.”
The season will run in rotating repertory through July 9. The weekends of June 30 and July 7 are the two in which all four productions overlap on UCA’s campus.
Scallet says of the season, “Our theme will be ‘The Power of Persuasion,’ as each of these shows features characters who use language to achieve their desires and shape their lives and their worlds.”
AST brings respected and experienced Shakespearean actors to Arkansas for each season, producing vibrant, engaging, lively and provocative performances for all Arkansans. It is also a major educational force in the state.
“We bring in almost 150 actors, directors and technicians from all over the country to make this season happen,” Marotte says. “I’m so proud of the cast and crew, which each year gets more impressive. You’ll be stunned by what you see on the stage this year!”
To view the complete schedule, purchase tickets and obtain more information, visit the Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre website.