UPDATE: Idaho Shakespeare Festival ready to open summer season. Here’s what to know
For its September show, the Idaho Shakespeare moved to stricter COVID-19 protocol:
The Idaho Shakespeare Festival’s opening this weekend brings with it a sense of relief, that life in Boise and the Treasure Valley is getting somewhat closer to normal.
The return of theater to the Boise Foothills comes a little later than its usual Memorial Day opening. After a tempestuous past 18 months and a shuttered 2020 season, it took a bit longer to get the amphitheater, stage and park site set for the return of audiences.
But keep in mind, things will be different because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The normally five-show season is pared down to three productions that will not run in repertory, so there are more opportunities to see each.
The Greenshow moves out of the amphitheater and into the picnic areas, and you’re encouraged to explore the festival’s park. The cafe this year is all new and led by one of Boise’s best-known chef teams.
And there’s more.
Here’s what to know:
The season
“Sleuth” July 8-Aug. 1.
A mystery writer fascinated by games and theater invites a fellow game enthusiast to a battle of wits. The twist is his rival is also his wife’s lover, and the game quickly turns deadly — but for whom?
Directed by Producing Artistic Director Charlie Fee, the cast of five actors features longtime company members David Anthony Smith and Jeffery C. Hawkins as Andrew Wyke, the famous detective writer, and his nemesis Milo Tindle.
Anthony Shaffer’s 1970 Tony Award-winning play was made into an Oscar-nominated film in 1972.
“The Tempest” Aug. 12-Sept. 5
This is one of Shakespeare’s greatest romances. Twelve actors come together under the direction of ISF artistic associate director Sara Bruner to render The Bard’s ultimate magical tale. It’s filled with wisdom and heart, forgiveness, redemption and the need to come together as a community — perhaps the perfect play for our world’s current situation.
A father and his daughter are marooned on an island with two monsters, named Ariel and Calaban. After 12 years of isolation, they suddenly are beset by a band of travelers by way of a not-so-accidental shipwreck, which in Shakespearean style brings the very people who exiled them to their shore. Everything changes for Prospero, now a powerful magician, and especially for his daughter Miranda, who has never before seen another human being.
As written, “The Tempest” has one female character. But this cast features a 50/50 gender balance, six men and six women, mostly from the core company.
“The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” Sept. 10-26.
This is the perfect show to cap off this unusual ISF season. This wild romp takes you through all of The Bard’s 38 plays, as told by three master comedic actors, who can improv and riff, but also explore the deepest recesses of Shakespeare’s masterworks. Core company M. A. Taylor, Jeffrey C. Hawkins and Lynn Robert Berg take on the task, along with director Fee. (The show also plays at ISF’s sister company Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival).
The show is a staple in the ISF repertory, and what makes it a classic is this company’s ability to shape it to reflect the zeitgeist and hilarity of the moment. This trio of actors is perfectly primed. Get ready to guffaw.
The new-normal experience
Masks: We don’t mean comedy and tragedy, but your protective face mask. You’re encouraged to wear them anytime you are not able to social distance or are in a confined space, such as the bathrooms.
The amphitheater can now be seated at full capacity — so, about 700 people — and there will be 50% capacity on the hillside (about 100 people) to allow for distancing.
The site: Things have changed. Tables are distanced throughout the scenic three-and-a-half acre site so you can enjoy beyond the boundaries of past seasons. The terraced lawn closest to the stage has been hardscaped, and you’ll be provided comfortable seats instead of bringing your own. The folding, low-backed chairs that were rented in the past are free this season to folks who sit on the hillside.
You can eat inside the amphitheater, but you’re being encouraged to picnic before the show on the patio, and in and around the site.
The food: You still may bring your own picnic or order from Cafe Shakespeare by Act 3 catering, brought to you by James Beard Award semifinalist chef Sarah Kelly and her husband, restaurateur David “DK” Kelly, who are well known for Bleubird Cafe, which was an upscale sandwich shop in downtown Boise, and Petit 4, a French-style bistro on the Boise Bench.
The menu is new from front to back, with items that range from “fancy chips” and City Peanut nuts ($6) to duck confit bahn mi and smoked salmon club sandwiches ($14). There also will be salads ($18) and box dinners that run $30 to $90. Of course, it will serve a host of wine, beer and nonalcoholic drinks, as well as dessert, which will include soft-serve ice cream ($6) and house-made banana cake for four ($12).
Greenshow: The pre-show entertainment moves out of the amphitheater this summer and into the park. The Mini-Concert Series, featuring a host of local bands and performing artists, starts at 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays on the new Meadow Stage, located just off the cafe patio. Performers include Swingin’ with Ellie Shaw and Kevin Kirk Presents.
Tickets
All three-show ticket packages and individual tickets are for terraces, chairs and the hillside:
- Packages: $145-$160 general, $55 for students with valid ID; $345-$400 for flex packages.
Individual Tickets run $39-$61 general, $28-$40 hillside, $25 for students.
- Contact the box office or visit IdahoShakespeare.org for information on table seating packages.
This story was originally published July 7, 2021 at 8:13 AM.
