PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. — Brush off your picnic blankets and lawn chairs! Shakespeare in the Parks is back in Prince George’s County and Montgomery County. The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Division announced the tour of Shakespeare's "The Tempest" through multiple parks this summer. After two years of socially distanced audio drama entertainment, the troupe is returning to in-person stage productions.
Shakespeare in the Parks is celebrating its 10th anniversary with the play it started with back in 2013. This year's tour will run from through July 16. The play will be directed by the founding artistic director, Christopher Dwyer.
The troupe’s outdoor adventure will be roughly 90 minutes long and will mostly run in the evenings around 7:30 p.m. This summer, the performance group is adding their own flare to the traditional Shakespearean tale by setting the characters in the 1980s. The comedy follows Prospero, a man stranded on a deserted island in the Mediterranean with his daughter Miranda, while he decides whether to enact revenge on his brother who has just washed up on shore.
Each summer, Shakespeare in the Parks tours a professional, family-friendly production in parks around the county. The group has put on over 10 Shakespeare performances over the past decade. Audiences are encouraged to bring their own blankets and lawn chairs, get comfortable, and enjoy some Shakespeare under the stars.
The full schedule for this year's performances can be found here.