SOC's A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM Adds Two More Performances, 7/31 & 8/1

SOC'S hit production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, co-produced with Hitia O Te Ra, has added two more performances due to popular demand. The two added performances will be on Thursday, July 31 and Friday, August 1 at 8:00 pm. Walk-up specials: Thursday night "Pay What You Want" and Friday night "7 at 7". Discounts are available at 7:00 pm and based on availability. Contact the box office for more details at (714) 590-1575. Best reserved tickets $25 online at www.shakespeareoc.org.

William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream is directed by Susan Angelo and follows fools and faeries through a romantic romp in which a magical potion forces lovers to fall in love with the wrong person. Set in beautiful Polynesia during the 1700s, SOC's rendition of the popular Shakespearian comedy includes Garden Grove's Award-Winning Polynesian dance group, Hitia O Te Ra. The production includes nearly 60 strong musicians and dancers, young and old, is led by Alex Tekurio and is made up of Hawaiians, Tahitians, Samoans, Maoris, Filipinos and Micronesians.

The cast of A Midsummer Night's Dream includes Jeremy Schaeg, EJ Arriola, Morgan Lauff, Mikki Pagdonsolan, Patricia Fa'asua, Bryan Taylor, Dmitri Tzoytzoyrakos, Miguel Perez, Amanda Zarr, Evelyn Carol Case, Katie Devoe?Peterson, Laura Zenoni, Isabelle Grimm, Hayley Jackson, Nicholas Thurkettle, Tom Bradac, Stephen Novick, Gene Godwin, Jesse Pudles, Louis Jack, Zachary Weed, Darren Nash, Connor McCloskey, Luke Castor, Jeff Budner, Sandy Ninh, Anh Nyguyen, and Christopher Badillo, as well as Hitia O Te Ra members Kapua Miyahira-Chow, Miranda Thompson, Avery Conrad, Jazaleia Feterika, Kaitlyn Slack, Makayla Davidow, Manu Tanielu, Natalia Martinez and Solomona Tafua.

Established actor and SOC veteran, John Walcutt now leads Shakespeare/Summerfest Orange County as its new Artistic Director. The 2014 season marks major changes to SOC including an expanded diverse season, guest productions and an educational program. "Our new mandate is 'One big family under the stars' as we spend this summer building bridges," said John Walcutt. "These bridges stretch from the storied history of SOC's past with Tom Bradac, the city of Garden Grove and our loyal subscribers. As well as into new frontiers like the Garden Grove School District, the library system, Orange County High School of The Performing Arts, the Vietnamese-American Community, the Pacific Rim Community of Garden Grove, our Hispanic Community, Korean and Chinese Americans, and, yes, even Hollywood! All are welcomed and invited to our beautiful park venue. Something remarkable is happening at The Garden Grove Amphitheater."

Season tickets may be purchased online at the Shakespeare/Summerfest Orange County website: www.shakespeareoc.org or by calling (714) 590-1575. Individual tickets are $25 for each production. Special discounted tickets and group rates are available: Thursday Nights are "Pay What You Want" at the door, and Friday Night tickets are $7 if you buy after 7 p.m. at the door. The Festival Amphitheater is located in Euclid Park: 12762 Main St. Garden Grove, CA 92840.

Additional Information: Shakespeare/Summerfest Orange County was originally founded as The Grove Shakespeare Festival by Founding Artistic Director Thomas F. Bradac during the late 1970's. The Grove Shakespeare Festival provided award-winning productions with strong support from the city of Garden Grove. After a change of venues to The Waltmar Theatre at Chapman University and a change of name to Shakespeare Orange County, SOC returned home to the Garden Grove Amphitheatre for many more summers under the stars. In 2013, Thomas Bradac announced his retirement as Producing Artistic Director and that SOC regular, John Walcutt, would take over as Producing Artistic Director. With John Walcutt at the head, SOC moves forward to forge stronger connections with its local community and continue as Orange County's premiere Shakespeare theatre now renamed as Shakespeare/Summerfest Orange County.

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