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Review: AS YOU LIKE IT at Independent Shakespeare Company In Griffith Park

Director David Melville's Forest of Arden has plenty of space for the melancholy, the displaced and the lovelorn alike, even for a frisky French goatherd who warbles merrily as she bags goat poop. ISC free Shakespeare patrons only get one production this summer, but it’s a winner.
Last Chance to Vote for the BWW Los Angeles Awards; Voting Ends 12/31

It's the final week left to vote for the 2023 BroadwayWorld Los Angeles Awards! Voting ends on 12/31 at midnight. Don't miss out on making sure that your favorite theatres, stars, and shows get the recognition they deserve!
2 Weeks to Vote for the BWW Los Angeles Awards; 44: THE UNOFFICIAL, UNSANCTIONED OBAMA MUSICAL, 1984, House of Bards Theatre Company & More Lead!

There's just two weeks left to vote and we have the latest standings as of Monday, December 18th for the 2023 BroadwayWorld Los Angeles Awards! Don't miss out on making sure that your favorite theatres, stars, and shows get the recognition they deserve!
BroadwayWorld Los Angeles Awards; 44: THE UNOFFICIAL, UNSANCTIONED OBAMA MUSICAL, 1984, House of Bards Theatre Company & More Lead!

It's the final 3 weeks and we have the latest standings as of Monday, December 11th for the 2023 BroadwayWorld Los Angeles Awards! Don't miss out on making sure that your favorite theatres, stars, and shows get the recognition they deserve!
BroadwayWorld Los Angeles Awards December 5th Standings; INTO THE WOODS Leads Best Musical!

It's December, and the first standings of the month have been announced as of Tuesday, December 5th for the 2023 BroadwayWorld Los Angeles Awards! Don't miss out on making sure that your favorite theatres, stars, and shows get the recognition they deserve!
Latest Standings Announced For The 2023 BroadwayWorld Los Angeles Awards; 1984 Leads Best Play!

Happy Holidays! The latest wave of standings have been announced as of Monday, November 27th for the 2023 BroadwayWorld Los Angeles Awards! Don't miss out on making sure that your favorite theatres, stars, and shows get the recognition they deserve!
Latest Standings Announced For The 2023 BroadwayWorld Los Angeles Awards; BRING IT ON: THE MUSICAL Leads Best Musical!

The latest wave of standings have been announced as of Monday, November 20th for the 2023 BroadwayWorld Los Angeles Awards! Don't miss out on making sure that your favorite theatres, stars, and shows get the recognition they deserve!
First Standings Announced For The 2023 BroadwayWorld Los Angeles Awards; House of Bards Theatre Company Leads Favorite Local Theatre!

The first wave of standings have been announced as of Monday, November 13th for the 2023 BroadwayWorld Los Angeles Awards! Don't miss out on making sure that your favorite theatres, stars, and shows get the recognition they deserve!
Review: JULIUS CAESAR at Independent Shakespeare Company in Griffith Park

Atmosphere, this CAESAR has aplenty. What David Melville’s production does not have this time is particularly strong acting. Players in several key roles felt miscast, out of synch with their own characters, with fellow players or, in some cases, both. As a result, the production is not great at making us emotionally invest.
Interview: David Melville on Directing Shakespeare's Gritty Political Thriller JULIUS CAESAR

Given recent events and political drama, including propaganda used to sway the public, nothing should surprise modern audiences when it comes to politics. But perhaps the most well-known dramatic representation of political intrigue takes place in Shakespeare’s classic play Julius Caesar, which centers around the events that led to his assassination by Roman senators on the 'Ides of March' (March 15) 44 B.C.E.  I decided to speak with David Melville about how the production will differ from more traditional staging and why he decided it would be a good fit for audiences.
Review: GROCERS GONE WILD IN KNIGHT OF THE BURNING PESTLE at Independent Shakespeare Company In Griffith Park

ISC’s unique brand of Shakespeare in the park has long been a summertime favorite for Angelenos of all ages. PESTLE is a work of Francis Beaumont, not the Bard, but as adapted and staged by director Melissa Chalsma, this loopy bit of play-within-a-play meta is every bit a comic winner.
PHOTO FLASH: Independent Shakespeare Co. Presents PERICLES at the Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival

Love is lost and found again in PERICLES, one of Shakespeare's most spellbinding plays. The young Pericles sets out for adventure, but gets more than he bargains for. Twenty-five years later, it's his daughter's turn to sail the high seas as she seeks to unravel the mystery of her birth. 
PERICLES Announced At The Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival

This summer Independent Shakespeare Co. (ISC) presents the rarely-performed epic Pericles at the Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival, directed by ISC Co-Founder and Artistic Director, Melissa Chalsma. Pericles will begin previews on Saturday, July 27 at 7pm, will open on Saturday, August 3 at 7pm and perform through Friday, August 30 at the Old Zoo in Griffith Park.  All ISC summer Shakespeare productions are FREE to the public! Pericles is the second of two productions being presented at this year's Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival. Twelfth Night is currently playing and will run in repertory through September 1.
Free Shakespeare For L.A. Is Back With TWELFTH NIGHT At The Griffith Park

This summer Independent Shakespeare Co. (ISC) presents the romantic comedy Twelfth Night at the Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival, directed by ISC Co-Founder and Managing Director, David Melville. Twelfth Night will begin previews on Saturday, June 29 at 7pm, will open on Saturday, July 6 at 7pm and perform through Sunday, September 1 at the Old Zoo in Griffith Park.  All ISC summer Shakespeare productions are FREE to the public!  Twelfth Night is the first of two productions being presented at this year's Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival. Pericles begins Saturday, July 27 and will run in repertory with Twelfth Night.
PERICLES Begins July 27 At The Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival

Shake out your picnic blankets and start planning your picnics! We are back for our 16th season of Free Shakespeare in the Park, a summer-long event for all of Los Angeles to play with theater, family workshops, opening acts and special events.
BWW Review: Revenge is Never Sweet in Independent Shakespeare Co.'s TITUS ANDRONICUS

TITUS ANDRONICUS is one of Shakespeare's bloodiest tragedies. Characters are stabbed, beheaded, mutilated, raped, baked in a pie, and one is even buried up to his neck and left to die. At first glance it may not sound like an obvious choice for families who attend the Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival, and it definitely isn't one for 'the youngest audience members' as the website says. But the play's extreme violence does present a unique opportunity for parents to talk to their teens about revenge and the futility of starting down its destructive path.
Photo Flash: Independent Shakespeare Co. Presents TITUS ANDRONICUS

This summer INDEPENDENT SHAKESPEARE CO. presents the dark spectacle, TITUS ANDRONICUS as the second show of its GRIFFITH PARK FREE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL, featuring David Melville as Titus and directed by Independent Shakespeare Co.'s Artistic Director, Melissa Chalsma. Celebrating the 15th anniversary season of free Shakespeare in Los Angeles City Parks, TITUS ANDRONICUS will begin previews at THE GRIFFITH PARK FREE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL on Saturday, July 28 at 7pm and will open on Saturday, August 4 at 7:00pm and perform through Sunday, September 1 at the Old Zoo in Griffith Park.  All ISC Summer Shakespeare productions are FREE to the public!  TITUS ANDRONICUS is the second of two productions being presented at this year's GRIFFITH PARK FREE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL. A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM is currently playing and will run in repertory through September 2. 
Review: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM by Independent Shakespeare Co. Opens the 15th Anniversary Season of Free Shakespeare in Los Angeles City Parks

Summer would not be complete without seeing at least one Shakespeare play outdoors somewhere in Los Angeles. This year I decided to spend a bewitching night in Griffith Park, selecting to see my favorite Bard comedy, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, presented by the Independent Shakespeare Company (ISC) celebrating the 15th anniversary season of free Shakespeare in Los Angeles City Parks. In 2010, ISC moved free Shakespeare in Barnsdall Park to Griffith Park, the second largest city park in California. The growth in attendance has been extraordinary, certainly due in part to the quality of the productions. So grab a blanket or a lawn chair, pack a picnic, and take a short hike into Griffith Park to a land of wonder and imagination thanks to the Independent Shakespeare Company's A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM - and bring the kids!
Photo Flash: First Look at Independent Shakespeare Co's A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

This summer spend a bewitching night with A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM at the GRIFFITH PARK FREE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL. Independent Shakespeare Co. celebrates the 15th anniversary season of free Shakespeare in Los Angeles City Parks. The Old Zoo will be transformed into an enchanted forest with an all-new production that envelops the audience with the action of the play. A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, directed by Independent Shakespeare Co.'s Artistic Director, Melissa Chalsma, will begin previews at THE GRIFFITH PARK FREE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL on Saturday, June 30 at 7pm and will open on Saturday, July 7 at 7:00pm and perform through Sunday, September 2 at the Old Zoo in Griffith Park
Independent Shakespeare Co. Presents First Show Of Griffith Park Free Shakespeare A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

This summer spend a bewitching night with A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM at the GRIFFITH PARK FREE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL. Independent Shakespeare Co. celebrates the 15thanniversary season of free Shakespeare in Los Angeles City Parks. The Old Zoo will be transformed into an enchanted forest with an all-new production that envelops the audience with the action of the play. A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, directed by Independent Shakespeare Co.'s Artistic Director, Melissa Chalsma,will begin previews at THE GRIFFITH PARK FREE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL on Saturday, June 30 at 7pm and will open on Saturday, July 7 at 7:00pm and perform through Sunday, September 2 at the Old Zoo in Griffith Park.  All ISC Summer Shakespeare productions are FREE to the public!  A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM is the first of two productions being presented at this year's GRIFFITH PARK FREE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL. TITUS ANDRONICUS will open July 28 and then the plays will run in repertory through September 2. 

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