Come out and play: Summer 2009 outdoor Shakespeare guide

June 9, 5:26 PMSF Theatre ExaminerLance Gardner

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Sarah Nealis as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet at CalShakes; photo by Kevin Berne

If you've a hard-on for the Bard on stage
summer's the season when he leaves the page
to tickle your ears with rhyme and meter
under the moon in an outdoor theater.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for global warming. If the polar ice caps are really melting, that could mean year round outdoor Shakespeare. A boy can dream, no? Until then, I (and you) will have to make do with the June to October offerings of the Bay Area Bastions of the Bard.

Already under way under the stars and running until June 21 is California Shakespeare Theater's modern, urban Romeo and Juliet. Coming to Orinda's Bruns Amphitheater on September 16 and running until October 11 is the considerably lighter and chronologically ironic production of A Midsummer Nights Dream.

If you're looking for something a little easier on the wallet (and your butt), The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival will be presenting, for free, Shakespeare's shortest play, The Comedy of Errors in three Bay Area locations: Pleasonton's Amador Valley Community Park (Saturday and Sunday 7/18-8/2), Cupertino's Memorial Park Amphitheater (8/9 and 10 and Friday, Saturday and Sunday 8/14-23) and The Presidio's Main Post Parade Ground Lawn in San Francisco (Saturday and Sunday 8/29-9/20 with a special performance on memorial day).

If you're up for the drive, you can head over the hill or along the coast to Shakespeare Santa Cruz's Festival Glen for A Midsummer Night's Dream or Julius Caesar (7/22-8/30). You might as well head up early and hit the Boardwalk or just the beach and make a day of it. With their repertory schedule you can even catch both shows in the same day.

At Dominican University's Forest Meadows Amphitheater, Marin Shakespeare is putting up a psychedelic 1970's adaptation of Twelfth Night (7/17-9/27) and a more traditional looking Julius Caesar (8/21-9/27).

Here are some tips for making the most of your outdoor experience:

• Bring a blanket (or a jacket or both) -  California may be renowned for it's weather, but if you've been here for any length of time, I shouldn't have to tell you to be prepared. You don't want to leave A Midsummer Night's Dream feeling like you've seen A Winter's Tale.
• Picnic - Some of these places serve food, and some of the food is just fine, but, whether you're feeding grapes to your sweetheart or peeling the skin off of them for your little one, nothing rounds out the evening like a unpacked picnic.
• Show up early  - Certain venues offer general seating and the good seats go fast.
• Comfort is key  - For lawn seating you may want to bring a folding chair. For amphitheater seating a cushion can save you from a numb bum.

For more info: click the hyperlinks.