But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is…St. Louis?
With no intention to misquote the great playwright William Shakespeare, we felt this was the best way to get your attention—and, more importantly, let you know about Shakespeare in the Streets, starting this month.
Shakespeare in the Streets is a grassroots theatrical experience across developing St. Louis communities. In each community, an appointed Shakespeare Festival St. Louis team will lead in the development of an original play based on Shakespeare’s works. The spin on each play, however, reflects that community’s specific social and economic character.
When all is put together, each neighborhood will perform three free, live, outdoor shows in the community.
Shakespeare in the Streets was originally created to address the cultural deficit found in many St. Louis urban neighborhoods. Dead streets, poverty, and limited community interaction has stunted the artistic growth of these neighborhoods. This is where Shakespeare Festival St. Louis saw an opportunity to empower people with the works of the most famous playwright in the world.
The program not only encourages people to attend Shakespeare Festival St. Louis in Forest Park but also gets all of St. Louis involved in the city’s artistic scene.
I strongly encourage you to attend a Shakespeare in the Streets show. The next live performance is The Winter’s Tale in the Grove neighborhood September 19-21. The opening act is at 8 p.m. each night, and admission is free.
The Winter’s Tale is a story of loss and redemption, exploring themes of time, healing, and jealousy. It focuses on a king possessed by irrational jealousy, an attitude that ends up tearing his family apart. Through years and adventures, the family is reunited by forgiveness and magic.
As an attorney and proud member of the St. Louis community, I’ll leave you with some advice on arriving to the show, from Shakespeare himself:
“Better three hours too soon than a minute too late.”