UnHip LA

This was a wonderful night.  I highly recommend Free Shakespeare in Barnsdall Park. The direction was assured; the performances lyrical and entertaining; the actors….hot. This is the first-time I’ve ever seen the Bard performed by ripped, shirtless male actors.  Seriously, it was like Chippendales on iambic pentameter, but with great acting. I don’t think there was a single weak link in the cast, okay, maybe one but I won’t name any names. The play within a play of Thisbe and Pyramus was hilarious; Titania, the queen of the fairies, falling in love with a donkey was hilarious, and the list goes on. The minimal set decoration - two ladders doubling as thrones, trees, you name it - worked, as did the modern wardrobe pieces mixed in with the whimisical costumes. Hermia’s bright, green sneakers, however, were a bit distracting, but the fairy wearing a purse on top her head was really cute.  Great imagination all night long!  The Dream is an amusingly delightful play about romantic relationships.

 

As far as picnicking, well, the space is small.  Imagine someone’s yard and then stuffing three hundred people on it, all picnic blanket to blanket.  Personally, I don’t like picnicking in tight quarters but others did not seem to mind.  Fortunately we got there early 6:00 pm and were able to get seats on risers.  6:00 pm is also a good arrival time for getting primo picnic spots and parking.  Well actually, it really doesn’t matter where you put your blanket because other people will cram up against you anyways. 

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(The people on the left are the early birds.  More people came later.)

Do not wear the color bright red.  I did and a bee would not leave me alone, hence ruining my sushi dinner.  The theatre offers free bug spray to use but it didn’t help me.  I was quite impressed by people’s elaborate picnic spreads (wicker baskets, table settings, wine, cheese, salads, someone even brought their own coffee table), but my favorite was the Louise’s pizza box.  That’s what I’m going to do next time.  It’s simple and tasty.  Also, I have a feeling that Thursday nights might not be as crowded as Saturday night when we went.  The plays (Midsummer, Richard II, and Macbeth) run Thursday through Sunday, all summer.

The Independent Shakespeare Co. believes that great art should be enjoyed by all, so performances are free. Thanks to them, I can be a Shakespeare scholarship student all summer.  I made a donation though because this was definitely worth it.  Also, parking’s free so you could throw that into the bucket as well.  

Finally, being at Barnsdall at night - a haven of art, high atop a hill, in the midst of Hollywood - is quite romantic.  Barnsdall has creative grounds to walk around in and cafe-like seating about with great views of Los Angeles.  If you go early enough, you might be able to check out some of the art galleries and the Hollyhock House, which Frank Lloyd Wright designed for arts patron Aline Barnsdall.  Barnsdall also has an indoor theatre and a large schedule of art classes. Come early, wander around, relax, read, make art…

DETAILS:
Free Shakespeare in Barnsdall Park
by the Independent Shakespeare Co. 
July 5 - September 2, Thursday - Sunday, 7:30 pm, FREE but RSVP.
Barnsdall Art Park
4800 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90027

boxoffice@independentshakespeare.com
or call (818) 710-6306

Free parking at the top and bottom of Barnsdall. Arrive early to avoid walking up the mound.  Handicap parking is available at the top.  Bring a jacket, blanket, or whatever you might need to keep warm because it gets chilly. They sell concessions at a reasonable price, but next time I am going to bring a thermos of tea, to have with my pizza.  (TIP:  There are restrooms in the theatre building and the arts building.  Go to the arts building to avoid a line.)  

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Check out this calendar of Los Angeles area summer Shakespeare festivals:  http://golosangeles.about.com/od/losangelescalendar/a/TheatreFestival.htm

And also click on my Shakespeare category to the left for more Bard in L.A.