The Adventures of Pericles (2019). Photo by Lynn Guthrie.
The sun is setting.
The cacophony of the water-wall fills the air with sound and sends sprays carried by the breeze.
The buzz of camaraderie fills the evening air as patrons jostle for an enviable seat with lawn chair or blanket.
Popcorn aroma entices.
Children giggle.
Adults wave and smile at each other as a troupe of shipwrecked players lurk in the corners of Wren Park, transformed by a mystical island.
There is magic in the night.
A tempest of highs and lows, laughter and tears, wonder and fear.
All “make-believe” – or is it?
Hamlet (2018). Photo by Casey Bates.
Every outdoor production carries its own thumbprint, its own identity, but as the firefly night descends and actors are awash in spot-lit moments, all are in the grip of the here and now, disbelief suspended for 90 minutes out of hectic lives - moments of reflection, recognition, relief and resolution all in a speeded-up, fast forwarded slice of life that only theatre-goers experience every time they enter a space where “real-life” is acted out.
Much Ado About Nothing (2016). Photo by Casey Bates.
“SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK” has come full circle in Downtown Anderson’s Wren Park. From A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2015), Much Ado About Nothing (2016), Taming of the Shrew (2017) to Hamlet (2018) and The Adventures of Pericles (2019), only the worldwide pandemic stopped A Comedy of Errors in her tracks three years ago.
Now The Tempest is brewing, reflective of the turmoil, isolation and terror we’ve all been through.
But there are Island Spirits that will summon you and powerful magic that will overcome past injustices, bringing us to a better understanding of human frailty and betrayal, strength and triumph.
Come be a part of Market Theatre and the City of Anderson’s The Tempest, playing nightly at 8 pm, June 15-19, 2023, in Wren Park. Suspend reality for a while and find your own as night falls and the tempest abates, bringing you home.
Diane Lee, Producer, The Tempest
Shakespeare in the Park, Anderson, SC
For more information, visit markettheatre.org and, if you’d like a premium reserved seat, check out the Tickets page!
