LIVE THEATER AND MUSICAL
PRODUCTIONS AROUND EASTERN OREGON
19
CURTAIN CALL
JUNE 22�29, 2022
All about
Shakespeare
Opera House festival
continues through
June 26 in Elgin
Go! staff
ELGIN — Four plays and
multiple special events make
for a full schedule at the inaugu-
ral Opera House Shakespeare
Festival, which began Friday,
June 17, and continues through
June 26.
The festival is put on by the
Opera House Shakespeare
Company and includes perfor-
mances of four separate works,
each on a diff erent stage: on the
Elgin Opera House’s main stage
and outdoor stage, and at the
new Hale Turner Little Theatre
and Jewel Theatre housed to-
gether on Alder Street.
Organizers Terry Hale and
Grant Turner provided the follow-
ing descriptions of each play:
A Merchant of Venice
(Adapted by Bill Alexander):
Fresh from the London stage,
this is the North American pre-
miere of this adaptation of “The
Merchant of Venice.” A young
man is in love with a wealthy
heiress. To impress her, he bor-
rows money from a merchant,
his best friend, but that friend
too needs to borrow, as most of
his assets are tied up. They bor-
row money from a local Jewish
moneylender, whom their preju-
dices forbid them from treating
with respect. He agrees to loan
them what they need, and as a
joke, requests no interest, only
a pound of fl esh if the money
can’t be repaid. All is well until
the merchant’s assets are all lost
at sea.
A Midsummer Night’s
Dream: Performed by the Opera
House Youth Actors, this com-
edy will be the perfect way to
introduce young ones to Shake-
speare. Set in the forest of Ath-
ens, three separate groups — a
quartet of young lovers, a band
of amateur actors and the King
and Queen of the Fairies (and
their retinue) — all intermix on a
crazy, fantastical summer eve-
ning. Directed by Anne Turner.
The Two Gentlemen of Vero-
na: This is one of Shakespeare’s
earliest plays. “It’s all about what
it means to be young, in love
and alive,” said Grant Turner, the
production’s director. “Think of it
as spring break. Two young men
(the title gents), best friends,
leave Verona to explore the
resort town of Milan. One is in
love with a girl back home (who
decides to follow him in disguise
to keep an eye on him), the
other is a confi rmed bachelor
(who has no time for women).
Well, wouldn’t you know it, once
arrived in Milan, the bachelor al-
most immediately falls for a girl,
and the best friend, seeing his
friend rave about his new obses-
sion, decides to make a move on
her as well! When his disguised
girlfriend shows up, high jinks
ensue.”
Othello: Like “A Merchant of
Venice,” “Othello” addresses
Abigail Hale (left),
and Carly Elder star
in “Two Gentlemen
of Verona,” one of
four plays presented
at the Opera House
Shakespeare
Festival in Elgin.
Elgin Opera House/
Contributed Photo
the impact of bias and prejudice
on people and society. Othello,
a valiant Black general, has
secretly married the daughter of
a well-to-do white Venetian. But
before her unapproving father
can wrench her back, Othello
and she are sent to Cyprus,
where he is tasked with quelling
a military skirmish. The battle
done, the newlyweds hope to
settle in to domestic bliss, but
“honest” Iago, Othello’s right-
hand man, because of his own
jealousy, plants the seeds of her
unfaithfulness.
THE SCHEDULE,
JUNE 23-25
SATURDAY, JUNE 25
• 2 p.m.: A Merchant of Venice
(Hale Turner Little Theatre)
• 4 p.m.: Tea with Imogen Stubbs
(Opera House north lawn)
• 5 p.m.: A Midsummer Night’s
Dream (Opera House outdoor
stage)
• 7:30 p.m.: Othello (Jewel
Theatre)
SUNDAY, JUNE 26
• 2 p.m.: Othello (Jewel Theatre)
• 5 p.m.: A Midsummer Night’s
Dream (Opera House outdoor
stage)
• 7 p.m.: “Soldier On” staged
reading (Opera House main
stage — for VIP ticket holders)
TICKETS
Tickets to individual perfor-
mances are $20; VIP passes that
include admission to all festi-
val events are $200. Individual
tickets can be purchased online
at www.elginoperahouse.com,
and passes can be purchased by
contacting Kathy Bonney at 541-
663-6324 or at kathy@elginop-
erahouse.com.
Find full details, visit www.
elginoperahouse.com/shake-
speare.
We can help
you get from
Here to Here
THURSDAY, JUNE 23
• 7:30 p.m.: Two Gentlemen of
Verona (Opera House main
stage)
• 7:30 p.m.: Othello (Jewel
Theatre)
FRIDAY, JUNE 24
• 11 a.m -3 p.m.: Free kids’
workshop (Opera House main
stage)
• 7:30 p.m.: A Merchant of Ven-
ice (Hale Turner Little Theatre)
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