Come to Lake Tahoe For Sand and Sun, Stay for Shakespeare Under the Stars

Apr 16, 2008

Media Contacts

Visitors heading to Lake Tahoe for a little summer sun needn’t head inside when the day grows long, but instead can linger on the warm sand beaches of Sand Harbor State Park for the 36th season of the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, July 10 – Aug. 17, 2008.  Staging two Shakespeare plays and a contemporary musical encircled by the immense beauty of Lake Tahoe, the Festival offers a not-to-be-missed theatrical event.  Experience the locals’ favorite summer festival and feast upon gourmet food and fine wines from Shakespeare’s Kitchen, gather with friends and family and watch the shades of pink and purple stretch across the horizon as action, comedy and drama unfold on stage.   

Shakespeare’s Kitchen, the Festival’s food and beverage area located inside the theatre gates, offers an assortment of fare at every price level. The extensive menu includes complete dinners with natural free-range selections and vegetarian options, children's portions and tantalizing desserts plus a wide selection of fine wines, ales, lagers, select liqueurs and spirits, specialty coffee drinks and other hot beverages.   Prior to each performance guests can also visit Shakespeare’s Vineyard and for $25 receive a Festival wine glass and a sampling of five wines from California growers and international vineyards.   

“Audiences at our lakeside amphitheatre find that they don’t need to be well versed in the Bard’s plays to enjoy the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival experience,” said Catherine Atack, executive director for the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival.  “Year after year, fans of the event continue to come to enjoy a casual evening on the beach with friends and family, savor some of the wonderful gourmet food and exquisite wines available and take in the marvelous views of Lake Tahoe our venue affords.  For many visitors, the Festival atmosphere is the major reason for attending as well as the attraction for first-time attendees.”  

This season the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival alternates Shakespeare’s gleefully wicked tale of “Richard III” with the impishly interfering immortals of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”  Then on Monday nights a new romantic musical titled “CAMBIO,” based on Victor Hugo’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” takes center stage.  At first glance, the three plays could be mistaken for modern films: a political leader slaughtering his way to the top, two youths eloping against their parents’ wishes and an underdog fighting for the woman he loves from afar.   

“William Shakespeare may have died 400 years ago, but audiences still connect with the plays thanks to his acute ability to pinpoint the major themes in humanity,” said Jan Powell, artistic director for the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival.  “The beauty of producing and directing, and in turn watching, a Shakespeare production is that it can really be set in any time period—the stories adapt remarkably well.  “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” doesn’t lose impact or meaning when placed into modern context as we have for the 2008  season.  And the tale of “Richard III,” which we’ve set during his actual rise to power and reign in the 1480s, holds universal truths about leadership, greed and political manipulation that could easily translate into any era.” 

The Festival draws more than 30,000 attendees from the across the country to its specially built Warren Edward Trepp Stage at Sand Harbor State Park every year.  The plays are complemented by food and drink from Shakespeare’s Kitchen, the fresh Sierra Nevada air and the crystal blue waters of Lake Tahoe, making the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival a one-of-a-kind theatre experience. 

Tickets for the 2008 season are now available online at www.LakeTahoeShakespeare.com with reduced handling fees for all online purchases, or by calling 888-32-SHOWS (888-327-4697).  Tickets start at $22 for open seating tiers and range in options up to the premier reserved seating section from $67.  Information about the 2008 season, membership, volunteer opportunities and sponsorships is available online. 

The Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established for the cultural benefit and enjoyment of all residents and visitors to Lake Tahoe and Reno.  Annually drawing more than 30,000 attendees from across the country to the specially built Warren Edward Trepp Stage along the north shore of Lake Tahoe, the Festival is a regional advocate for producing the finest cultural events in the region.  Through its in-house artistic direction, the Festival produces three plays each summer, creating original costuming, set design and choreography, and attracting a team of national and international stage talent.  The Festival’s community outreach includes and annual program, InterACT, designed to educate future generations on the importance of the arts, theatre and music. 

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