Island Shakespeare Festival celebrates 10 years Whidbey Island’s “little theater company that could” is celebrating a successful decade of presenting Shakespeare’s plays to an avid audience. Performed in an outdoor venue in the village of Langley, this nonprofit is on a mission to explore humanity in classic theatre and tell clear, resonant stories that are accessible to all, with humility and gratitude.
One of the ways Island Shakespeare Festival stays true to that mission is a “Pay as You Will” promise they’ve kept all 10 years: plays are free, but attendees are welcome to donate, and most do. That’s because audiences appreciate the high-caliber performances of actors from around the world, engaging stage settings and the ambience of Whidbey Island.
To celebrate their anniversary, the 2019 play schedule reflects themes of redemption, magic and the driving force of love. These include the classics “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “The Winter’s Tale,” as well as a world premiere adaptation of Dante Alighieri’s “Inferno” and “Shakespeare’s Other Women: A New Anthology of Monologues.” And speaking of Shakespeare’s women: this theater company is run by women, from the founders to the artistic director. Less than seven percent of professional theater companies can tell that story.
Check out the 2019 schedule at islandshakespearefest.org. Plan your Whidbey Island getaway at whidbeycamanoislands.com.
