Shakespeare in the Park Keeps the Laughs Rolling

The evening was warm and perfect as the citizens of Valpo and the surroundings made their way, lawn chairs in tow, to the Central Park Plaza. It was the second year for Shakespeare in the Park provided by the Chicago Street Theatre.

The performance for the evening was A Comedy of Errors, William Shakespeare’s most satirical play and one of his earliest writings. It’s a case of mistaken identity as two sets of identical twins are separated at birth and we follow them through a series of hilarious scenarios.

“It’s second time providing Valpo with an event like this. It’s very exciting and one of Shakespeare’s shortest and most hilarious plays,” Eric Brant, Director of Marketing for the Chicago Street Theatre. “My kids truly love the show. Last year was such a great experience to have them and hopefully have many more people have this be their first experience. It’s going to be really compelling and interesting for the audience.”

Last year 2500 people came to view Shakespeare in the Park in only two nights. And with that year under their belt the members of the Chicago Street Theatre were no doubt successful.

Before the play began, there was a street show with food vendors, beer garden, bounce houses and pre-show performances by teens from the Shakespeare Workshop. Families, couples, friends and individuals came out to enjoy the festivities and the lovely weather.

The performance was done in half Shakespearean and half modern language. This made it easier for the audience to follow along. There were 20 roles in the play, but only seven performers. That meant that the actors had to multitask and wear many different hats (literally) throughout the play. They dressed in bright costumes that had a whimisal and carnivalesque theme to them.

Friday night was the opening performance and there will be a second one on Saturday July 13 at dusk. In case you are unable to make either of these performances, A Comedy of Errors will continue each weekend through July 27, 2013 at the Chicago Street Theatre itself.

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Next year will be extra special as it will be Shakespeare’s 450th birthday. There is a statewide initiative to coordinate Shakespeare involved activities for kids! So keep an eye out for what the Chicago Street Theatre will have up its sleeve for next year.

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