Outdoor theater creates a magical mood on starry summer evenings.

Story by Sue Hansen

In the sixth century B.C., outdoor theater made its debut with the theatron (place of observation) at the Acropolis, where sloping hillsides provided seating for thousands of spectators. After spreading to the Roman Empire—the Coliseum being the most famous stone amphitheater—outdoor theater eventually traveled across the world. Here in the Northwest, drama under the stars continues to flourish, to the delight of audiences enjoying summer evenings in the outdoors.

The Elizabethan Stage at Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland.

Shakespeare Under The Midnight Sun

Fairbanks, Alaska

The stage is set for Antony and Cleopatra to appear during the weeks around Summer Solstice in the far-north city of Fairbanks. Here, at Alaska’s only outdoor theater with professional actors, they will captivate audiences in a woodland clearing.

Fairbanks Shakespeare Theater is the world’s northernmost Shakespearean company. Founded by Fairbanks actors Bruce Rogers and Greg Gustafson in 1992, the company’s first production was staged alongside the Chena River flowing through downtown Fairbanks. The company eventually moved their outdoor performances to Jack Townsend Point, on the campus of the University of Alaska at Fairbanks, where theater patrons take a forested path to evening performances.

“The most unique feature of our outdoor theater is that all plays are performed under the Midnight Sun,” said Scott Jackson, managing director and actor for the Fairbanks Shakespeare Theater. “However, the plays last only three weeks (this year, the season runs a little late, from July 11–29) due to this short window of 24-hour light.”

But the acting doesn’t stop. The company takes the show on the road in August—throughout Alaska, into Canada, and overseas to places like Australia and Scotland. Then they move indoors for a full winter season of different types of plays at the Empress Theater.

The company has also developed the Eco Project—Education and Community Outreach—to bring Shakespeare into schools, Boys and Girls Clubs, youth detention centers, assisted-living residences, correctional facilities, and homeless shelters. The project has also created a youth theater company called The Groundlings that puts on one outdoor play during the summer. This year, it’s Richard III.

In January, the theater company hosts the annual Bard-a-thon, a 24-hour a day, week-long reading of all of Shakespeare’s poetry and 37 plays. It’s a free event drawing hundreds of people during the cold Alaska winter. (907-457-7638; www.fstalaska.org)

Gaelan Beatty and Tracy Neff perform in the Theatre Under the Stars production of Grease.

Theatre Under the Stars

Vancouver, British Columbia

It all began in 1946 when a former outdoor band shell was turned into a stage for summer plays. Set within Vancouver’s scenic Stanley Park, Theatre Under the Stars has gained fame for its talented actors and actresses as well as a big following among those who enjoy musical entertainment. For these performances are all song and dance.

With outdoor seating for 1500 people, two musicals are performed every summer under the stars for five weeks, with the 2007 season opening on July 11. The plays alternate and comprise two different casts and crews. This year, the Broadway classic musical Oklahoma! and the 1950s musical Grease are the shows to see.

“Our theatre has incredible talent, with many up-and-coming stars getting their start here,” said Bonnie Allan, public relations director for Theatre Under the Stars. “We have a great balance of professional and amateur actors, with the pros mentoring those developing their dramatic skills.”

That’s the core value of this theatre company. According to board president James Cronk, the theatre is “a training ground to learn discipline, teamwork, and self-confidence in both theatrical performances and technical skills.”

This is the backdrop that has made Theatre Under the Stars so successful. The pairing up of top-notch performers with award-winning musicals such as The King And I, South Pacific, and Annie Get Your Gun, all in a pristine park setting, creates an evening of delight for theater patrons. (604-687-0174; www.ticketstonight.ca)

Montana Shakespeare in the Parks

Bozeman, Montana

They could be compared to traveling troubadours of olden times—a troupe of actors traversing Big Sky Country, performing Shakespeare plays for the general public. For 35 years, the troupe has brought live theater to people of all ages through-out Montana.

Montana Shakespeare In The Parks was the brainchild of a Montana State University professor who wanted to share Shakespeare with communities that normally wouldn’t get to see a professional play. The first town to be entertained in the early 1970s was Birney, population 15, which is still on the touring schedule today along with 53 other communities, mostly in Montana and including a few towns in Wyoming, Idaho, and North Dakota.

“Our company travels to venues where no others go,” said Kathy Jahnke, public relations director for Shakespeare In The Parks. “And the plays are free to attend because of financial support from corporate sponsors, grants, and individual donations. Sponsoring communities also help with the production costs.”

From July 2 to September 3, 10 professional actors (most come from Chicago, Seattle, and Montana) travel in a van accompanied by a truck hauling the stage, costumes, and scenery. They arrive in a town in the afternoon, set up the stage in a park or grove (sometimes in a barn during bad weather), perform in the evening, and pack up again. By the end of the season, the actors will have put on 69 performances and covered 5000 miles. This year’s offerings are Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor and Shaw’s Heartbreak House.

For small communities, the plays are the highlight of the summer. “You can bring the whole family and your dog and have a picnic on a blanket before the play,” said Jahnke. “It’s a special event for all of us.”

As for the out-of-state actors, they fall in love with Montana’s people and places. Even those who go on to stardom—the most famous is actor Bill Pullman, who directed and performed for the company in the late ‘70s—stay in touch with this special production company. (406-994-3901; www.montana.edu/shakespeare)

Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Ashland, Oregon

Tucked inside the charming community of Ashland, the Tony award-winning Oregon Shakespeare Festival, founded in 1935, presents 11 productions of both classical and contemporary plays in three theaters. From mid-February to late October, plays can be enjoyed at the Angus Bowmer Theater, the New Theater, and on the Elizabethan Stage, which features Shakespeare plays in an outdoor setting.

The 2007 summer season for the Elizabethan Stage includes three plays performed 36 times each. This year they are The Tempest, The Taming of the Shrew, and Romeo and Juliet. Surrounded by ivy-covered walls beneath starry skies, professional actors from around the country bring Shakespeare’s famous characters to life.

“We’re among the oldest and largest professional theater companies in America,” said Amy Richard of the festival’s media relations office. “And we offer a rotation repertory so audiences can see as many as six different plays in three days, including non-Shakespearean plays.”

The Festival offers lectures and free “park talks” where actors and directors share their knowledge. You can also spend a weekend—or an entire week—with other playgoers studying the classics taught by Shakespearean scholars. And before attending a play, go to a Preface to learn more about the story and characters.

As a final encore, take the 90-minute Backstage Tour to all three theaters and find out about the history, design, and technology of repertory theater. (541-482-4331; www.osfashland.org)

Leavenworth Summer Theater

Leavenworth, Washington

Tucked within central Washington, surrounded by mountains and forest, the Bavarian-style community of Leavenworth hosts an annual summer musical that transports theatergoers back to the late 1930s with a story of a nun and a family of young singers joined together in a true story of love and survival.

The Sound of Music is a classic play performed every July and August (19 performances) at the Ski Hill Amphitheater above Leavenworth. It’s one of the most popular productions in Washington, drawing more than 20,000 people to the outdoor stage. Here, as the sun sets, Maria descends the hillside, singing, “The hills are alive …,” reminiscent of the opening cinematic scene in the Austrian Alps made famous by Julie Andrews.

“The natural compatibility of this play and our Bavarian-style town is pretty spectacular,” said Susan Hufman, executive producer for the Leavenworth Summer Theater. “It’s a perfect show in a perfect setting.”

Leavenworth Summer Theater is the largest outdoor theater between Seattle and Spokane. It also puts on two additional shows in other locations. Will Rogers Follies (July 18—September 1) is staged at the Leavenworth Fish Hatchery. And the FestHalle downtown will open its doors to Camelot (the timeless tale of King Arthur and the Nights of the Round Table) during the month of August. (509-548-2000; www.leavenworthsummertheater.org)

Idaho Shakespeare Festival

Boise, Idaho

Shakespeare in a wildlife sanctuary? At the Idaho Shakespeare Festival in Boise, audiences revel in a variety of summer plays while relaxing in a wildlife reserve.

It all started in 1977, when a group of theater grads from Boise State University began putting on plays on the sloping lawn at the base of Boise’s first modern high-rise office building. This proved an ideal outdoor stage for their first four summers.

During the next 17 years, the theater company performed at two other sites before The Idaho Shakespeare Festival Amphitheater & Reserve opened in 1998. The 12-acre sanctuary, adjacent to a 480-acre former mill pond, includes a 750-seat theater as well as riverside pathways and observation areas. With the land donated by Boise Cascade Corporation to the Idaho Foundation for Parks and Lands, it’s a pristine setting for over 200 wildlife species and more than 50,000 summertime theater enthusiasts.

Visit this summer and be entertained by Hay Fever, The Tempest, Arsenic and Old Lace, Measure for Measure, or Little Shop of Horrors. “Nestled in this lovely setting along the Boise River, the Idaho Shakespeare Festival offers theatergoers and nature lovers an entertainment experience like none other,” says Rosemary Reinhardt, director of marketing for the Idaho Shakespeare Festival. And to add to the experience, delectable food is available at Café Shakespeare, owned and operated by chef Lisa Peterson and husband Peter. (208-336-9221; www.idahoshakespeare.org)

Northwest Travel July/August 2007