Shakespeare in the Park Opens This Weekend

Would you like to catch some fantastic live outdoor theatre this weekend in Flint? Bring your family and friends to the Kearsley Park Pavilion and revel in a delightful performance of William Shakespeare’s comedy Twelfth Night! The performances are free to the public.

“This is our 11^th season of doing Shakespeare in the Park,” says Kay Kelly, Director of the Kearsley Park Players. The Players are made up of mainly local actors whom Kay carefully casts for each part. She is grateful for the talent pool she has when matching players with particular roles and sincerely enjoys working with a wide variety of individual actors each year.

Having the Shakespeare plays performed outdoors creates an air of adventure and excitement for the cast as well as those in the audience. The shows are presented in an intimate and casual park setting as opposed to a formal auditorium, making a more personal experience for those attending. There is of course natural lighting to take advantage of, and the shrubbery in the parks makes wonderful natural props for the performers to utilize during each show.

In addition, the stately 1925 Pavilion at Kearsley Park is perfect for doing Shakespeare, creating a royal Elizabethan-like setting. “This is where we perform the first weekend,” says Kay, “but we take this show on the road. I tell people this is the closest they get to working in a traveling circus!”

The Players’ Opening Night Gala will be 8 pm Friday, June 12 at Kearsley Park Pavilion, which is their annual fundraiser. Tickets for the Gala are $25. The rest of the Shakespeare shows are free. You can find the Park Pavilion off I-475 to Robert Longway Blvd and north on Kearsley Park Blvd. Enjoy!