KING LEAR and SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE To Take the Stage at Sanborn County Park This Summer

Silicon Valley Shakespeare will return to Saratoga for its 25th anniversary season-and 20th year at Sanborn County Park-with 33 actors and more than 30 creatives behind the scenes mounting 2 monumental shows.

The summer repertory season kicks off on Friday, July 28th, with an all-female and non-binary production of William Shakespeare's epic tragedy, King Lear.

In the titular role is SVS Resident Dramaturg Doll Piccotto, who when asked to describe how she feels about the character and the all-female and non-binary cast said, "To me, Lear is a human who caused his own tragedy, as many of us can empathize with. We've all made choices we regret, and this is Lear's story of his regrettable choices. He is a fascinating study of a man losing his identity. His daughters no longer owe him the duties of children, and he has given his kingship away. He is no longer a father to his children or his people. And the opportunity to work with a cast like this is a rare and wonderful experience, and I encourage all female and non-binary actors to audition for future productions. Shakespeare had all men for YEARS-now it's our turn."

Next up is SVS' staging of Shakespeare in Love, based on the Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard screenplay of the Academy Award-winning movie. It is the romantic and hilarious tale of a young Will Shakespeare who embarks on an unexpected love journey that takes place while struggling to write his most epic love story. Of the production, director Dave Leon says, "I like that the script does not deify the Bard. Rather, it humanizes him. He is a flawed, impulsive, sometimes thoughtless man, and because of those flaws, we identify with him. This Shakespeare is vibrant, funny, and profoundly human."

King Lear is directed by Cynthia Lagodzinski and runs select Thursdays-Sundays, July 28-September 1, 2023. And Shakespeare in Love is directed by Dave Leon, running select Thursdays-Sundays, August 4-September 3, 203. Both productions will have special ASL-interpreted performances: King Lear on Sunday, August 13th, and Shakespeare in Love on Sunday, August 20th.

Sanborn County Park is located at 16055 Sanborn Rd, Saratoga, CA 95070.

To purchase tickets ($25-$55) and subscriptions ($63; specially priced subscription tiers are available for students, seniors, military personnel, healthcare workers, and educators), or to learn more about both productions, visit svshakespeare.org.

To post a comment, you must register and login.