The bard on a budget
In this economy, we can’t all fly out to the Globe Theatre and watch a Shakespearean play. Luckily, now you don’t have to. For the remaining September weekends, The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival will be hosting performances of Two Gentleman of Verona in Presidio Park. Oh, and did we mention, the shows are free!Since 1983, The Shakespeare Festival has been providing San Francisco with plays like The Comedy of Errors, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and their first year performances, The Tempest and Romeo and Juliet. Yet, this year will be the first time the actors have performed the Two Gentlemen of Verona.The play tells the story of Proteus and Valentine, two friends who fall into trouble over girls. What will happen to the pair’s friendship when Proteus tries to pursue Valentine’s girlfriend? And better yet, how will Julia (Proteus’s girlfriend) take such news? Well, you’ll have to watch to find out.The troupe’s director, Kenneth Kelleher, often takes Shakespeare’s plays out of their original context. For the 2007 Midsummer Night’s Dream performance, and the 2009 Comedy of Errors, new additions ranged from the circus to old and modern music. The 2010 performance is no different, taking the friends and lovers into the 60s. Cast members include Sofia Ahmad as Julia, Michael Navarra as Valentine and Eglamour, Emily Jordan as Silvia and Panthene, and Alex Moggridge as Proteus.Depending on what day you make it to the performance, start times change. Saturday the play starts at 7:30pm, but on Sundays, you can catch the show at 2:30pm. If you don’t have plans this weekend, be sure to stop by Sunday. By arriving at 1pm, you can enjoy the additional Shakespearean events.With free admission, and a gorgeous lawn to unwind on, the acting troupe gives Shakespeare lovers a chance to embrace the bard on a budget.