The Indianapolis Shakespeare Company (until very recently known as Heartland Actors' Repertory Theatre, or HART) runs free, professional quality outdoor Shakespeare in White River State Park every year. The show only runs for one weekend a year, so watch the calendar to make sure you don't miss it!
I'm a very regular theatre goer, and I love seeing free Shakespeare in the park: you're outdoors with people of all ages, enjoying the fresh air and the immortal words of the Bard. My expectations are usually pretty low; I've been to a lot of free outdoor Shakespeare that wasn't very good. But the 2017 production of As You Like It was a pleasant surprise, and an excellent show: the acting was good, the show included musicians and a really great singer (with what appeared to me to be some original music), and (this is key) the actors were all mic'ed well enough that you could clearly hear everything they said. (Kudos to the sound design team!) Overall, the evening was delightful.
Some tips to help you enjoy your visit:
- Ample $10 parking is available at the Indianapolis Zoo parking lot. It's an easy walk to the Celebration Plaza Ampitheatre from the zoo lot (or there's a golf cart shuttle for those with mobility issues.)
- Arrive early! They offer free lawn chairs for public use, but when I arrived at 7:30 for an 8:00 PM Saturday night show the chairs were all claimed. You can bring your own blanket or lawn chair, as well. And there's pre-show music to entertain you while you wait for the show to start.
- Bring a picnic! You're allowed to bring your own food to the park; they also had food trucks and Sun King beer for sale ($5 for a draft beer.)
- Beware the setting sun: the ampitheatre is in a lovely location right on the river, but it means that the setting sun creates some big time glare that makes it hard to look at the stage. I recommend bringing sunglasses and wearing a brimmed hat, and arriving early enough to find a spot with minimal sun glare. Bring a jacket or blanket too, if it's going to be a chilly night.
The company appears to be based out of Butler University's Theatre department. They have (equity and non-equity) auditions in March for their summer shows; you can find out more on their website.
I'll be back in 2018 for sure! read more