What a gorgeous summer evening enjoying The Merry Wives of Windsor on the UCI campus! The show takes place in a temporary outdoor, Elizabethan-style theater with just over 120 seats, making the experience feel wonderfully intimate. I sat in the Queen Elizabeth section and loved being so close to the action. The production was funny, lively, and incredibly engaging. After thoroughly enjoying last year's production of Much Ado About Nothing, I knew I wanted to return and so glad I did! This isn't the Shakespeare some people might expect. There was laughter, dancing, singing, plenty of clever satire, a mix of Shakespearean and modern English, and Spanish. The entire cast was fantastic! I especially enjoyed "Frank" and "Cayo", although everyone did an amazing job! Sitting so close to the actors really pulls you into the performance and allows you to feel every emotion. It was such a fun and entertaining evening, and looking forward to next year! Be sure to put it on your reminder list for next season. This year's production ends at the end of the month, and unfortunately, the remaining performances are sold out! read more

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An absolute must do! The theater is outdoor and something I have never experienced before. There are no bad seats, which is mind blogging!! The performers were excellent and obviously they have a fantastic director!! From costumes, to stage design, lighting, choreographer all went well together! I have been to enough plays and performances to say this theater is definitely special and if you get a chance you should go watch a play here. There is a big parking structure so parking is not a problem and it's a short walk to the theater from there. read more

New Swan Theater - Performing Arts Near Me - Irvine, California

Productions. Good productions with a good vibe. This year, we enjoyed Pericles and Comedy of Errrorrs - their spelling! Choosing seating. A great theater in the round! Our family went in summer 2018, 2019, and 2022. The gentleman next to us had sat in every type of seat in the house, and he confirmed that each seat has a good view. For a seat on the stage floor, there are cushions, but you must be comfortable sitting on the floor for about 50 min at a time. Most seats are comfortable. Some seats use bar-stool type seating that may cut into your thighs a bit. On a clear night, enjoy the moon and stars from the top level! One time, there was some aircraft noise from the airport, but that was unusual. Tickets. We did not see any at-the-door sales; all sales were in advance. When you buy on the website, the Barclay will email you good directions two days before the performance. The e-ticket says "print this ticket" but it is OK to just show it on your phone. From home. Bring an extra layer of clothing because summer nights can be relatively cool and breezy at any level in the theater. Some people may like to bring a seat cushion. Park in the UCI Student Center Parking Structure for $13, through 11:59 pm the day of the performance. Arrive about 7:20 to give yourself plenty of time to stroll to the theater. Signage is good. The location on Apple Maps is not correct and Google Maps does not give a location; hopefully that will change. At intermission, restrooms are signposted, a minute's walk from the theater in the adjacent UCI Library building. M&Ms or Gummi Bears cost $1; paper cups of water are free. After the show finishes, some cafes and restaurants in the University Center are still open: most fast-food restaurants, Cha for Tea, or Eureka. Access the University Center by using the Watson pedestrian bridge across Campus Dr. read more

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We try to attend at least one performance each year, but last night's "All's Well That Ends Well" was particularly outstanding. The cast seems especially talented this year and there's a musical element I won't spoil that's outstanding. Great venue, love supporting UCI and you can't beat sitting outside watching live theater. Highly recommended. read more

Fantastic evening. I have been going for several years and really missed the last two years of no production due to COVID. But, they are back!!!! And with a fantastic production, Pericles, Prince of Tyre. I saw it tonight! Fantastic. Truly remarkable. The set. The costumes. The music. The actors. The acting. Mesmerizing! The actors are also performing The Comedy of Errors. I cannot wait to see it! If you have not been before, buy your tickets now! If you have been before, buy tickets now to return. You really do not want to miss this opportunity! read more

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Lovely evening! The Swan Theatre is an amazing venue and the play was great fun. Totally recommend!

This theater is magical. There are 130 seats and it is like a mini Elizabethan theater from Shakespeare's day. The setting is very intimate and charming. The actors are very close to you and the acting is excellent, for the most part. I highly recommend the New Swan Theatre experience! read more

New Swan Theater - This is the stage. You can see how the actors are so close to the audience. - Performing Arts Near Me - Irvine, California

I have always enjoyed theater and I was honored to be Professor Julia Lupton's class. Her deep knowledge and unquestionable passion for Shakespeare made her a key role in the productions at the New Swan Theater. Since she is the "Dramatugy" we, as her students, were able to get a first glance as these production before the New Swan Theater built its' high esteem. I am very proud to witness how much it continues to improve. The New Swan Theater is UCI's unique design of a mini-Elizabethian theater. It has an intimate atmosphere with each of the seats a great view of the stage. I have noticed improvements such as the chairs from 2012 to be somewhat like recycled donated cushion from old computer chairs to 2014 when the built in chairs are pleasantly more comfortable. I have seen Merchant of Venice (summer2012), Comedy of Errors (summer2012), As You Like It (spring2014), Romeo and Juliet (summer2014) and most recently Twelfth Night (summer2014). One of my majors were in English, so I have read many plays. The creativity behind these productions goes beyond the scape of my imagination. These actors incorporate their personal touches to embellish what the text implies. Furthermore some of the plays have a twist on the setting, taking it onto a completely different level. I especially love the Wild West theme in Comedy of Errors and the 1920s Hollywood theme in Twelfth Night. The main characters are so admirable in the way they have memorized long endless soliloquys. Some of these main characters have roles in multiple productions and they have to work hard every night. That is true dedication!! I feel like minor characters can be dull, but the two Dromios in Comedy of Errors and Feste (the role of a fool) in Twelfth Night were especially admirable. It's been over two years and I still remember the way the Dromios would *meep*. And Feste was so amazing, his facial expressions are so hilarious!! I feel like these talented actors of the New Swan Theater does Shakespeare's texts proud :) And let's not forget all of those who did the behind the scene work!! Every tiny element contributes to the glory of the New Swan Theater!!! I will definitely continue my patronage for many many future years to come. When I'm older with financial abundance, this is definitely something I would want to support!! For now, I'll just be their loving seasons ticket holder. read more

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My friend and I came for the Summer 2018 showing of The Winter's Tale, a lesser known Shakespearian dramedy that more than exceeded expectations. Theater: The theater itself is modeled after the classic Globe Theater in London with tiered seating in a ring around a central staging area. We bought Groundlings tickets for padded seats on the floor of the theater. Groundlings seats were first come, first serve so we picked seats closer to the center and had a nearly unobstructed view of the performance. Unfortunately, we were seated next to/partially under a stairway that the cast used during the performance, so our view was partially obstructed at times. That said, I loved the experience of being so close to the actors and didn't feel that the obstruction detracted from the performance. Would caution that I am petite and could fully extend my legs, but the tall gentleman seated next to me had his legs folded during the performance to avoid blocking the actors. These seats are small and on the floor and would not be comfortable for those with back problems. Acting/Performance: Loved the retelling of The Winter's Tale as a Victorian dramedy with actors dressed in period pieces. Most of the actors are BFA/MFA graduates or instructors from UCI giving the performance a "family" feel. Acting was top notch and the show was fantastic. Logistics: Parking is available on the UCI campus for $10 in a covered lot. We arrived about an hour prior to curtain call because we wanted to have optimal choice of seats, but since doors open 15 minutes prior to showtime, this was unnecessary. We were also told by staff that Student Rush tickets are actually open to the public and that we could come back for free tickets for the sold out Midsummer Night's Dream production. We had seen students waiting in the Student Rush line when we arrived, so would definitely return next year to take advantage of that perk. Overall: We loved the New Swan Theater's ambiance and performance of The Winter's Tale. Looking forward to returning next year! read more

The New Swan Theater was, hands down, the coolest theater I've ever been in! It's a small, temporary, ~100-seat, three-tiered theater IN THE ROUND! Huzzah! They put on two Shakespearean plays each summer that run concurrently through July & August. They also host Shakespearean seminars and music Mondays! YOU MUST GO TO THIS THEATER!!!! It was truly amazing! On 07/17/15, my husband and I went to see "Much Ado About Nothing". It was so intimate that you felt like you were living the play. The acting was phenomenal: the actors play parts in both plays through the summer, and they were fabulous! I recommend seats in the King or Queen section, if you can swing the prices. The most expense tickets in the King's section (literally on the stage) were $50 each, a bit pricey, but well worth it for the experience. My husband and I sat in the Lords' section: it was great for viewing, but since it's raised and you have to put your feet on a bar, it can make your back a bit stiff. I still loved it though, and it was well worth a bit of stiffness. The top section was good and wide open to the elements (some people brought blankets, which was smart), but they watched from above, and I assumed they missed out on some of the facial emoting: it was much better to sit at eye-level, in my opinion. So if you can afford it, reserve seats in the King or Queen sections. I am taking my parents at the end of August to see Macbeth, and I'm even more excited now that I know how incredible this experience was. I plan to attend annually, and I recommend that you do the same! It was divine!!!! read more

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Shakespeare, to be honest, doesn't exactly bring back fond memories for me. I struggled to read it through high school having Cliff Notes on my side trying to decipher and understand what I was reading. There were some plays that I really enjoyed, though. Taming of the Shrew being one of them. Flash forward to a few months ago when my Yelp bud, Van D., asked if I wanted to accompany her to a performance of this play at the New Swan Shakespeare Festival at the New Swan Theater at her alma mater of UCI. She told me this was a unique theater as it was a portable pop theater. She had been a ticket holder for some time and said that the performances were very well done and the theater very cool. I trust my friend, so I said I was in. Upon arriving, we were greeted by one of her acquaintances, who was also a director of the other play being performed concurrently at the theater, The Tempest. He was really nice and told us about a bit of tonight's performance and excitedly welcomed us in. Van wasn't kidding about the theater. It resembled a mini Globe theater like in London. It was a theater in the round that sat 100 people. We had fantastic seats in the middle, up a bit from the stage, smack dab in the center. There were seats on the floor and seats above us a level, too. There really wasn't a bad seat in the house because of the size of the theater and proximity of the seats to the stage. We were not allowed to take photos or video during the performance which was a shame as the production and cast were awesome. The cast had a modern take on costuming which made the play have a bit of a more modern feel although it stuck faithfully to Shakespeare's writings. I enjoyed the performance so much. It was highly entertaining and I found people of all ages sitting in the theater enjoying the performance as much as I did. I enjoyed the 80s instrumental music they used in the background throughout the play. This added another fun, more modern take to the performance. This pop up theater is alternating performance of Taming of the Shrew and the Tempest through August on alternating day. See newshakespeare.com for performance dates. The same acting troupe is used for both plays. They were fantastic. The set and crew did a fabulous job, too. Everything was so well done. I thank my friend, Van, for bringing culture into my life and inviting me to this wonderful Shakespeare festival and theater. I had a blast and highly recommend this cool little theater experience as a unique and fun way to experience Shakespeare this summer! read more

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Shakespeare in the round! Up close and personal! M&M's for intermission, fabulous! What a lovely evening!

This is a newly constructed theater inside of the Claire Trevor Theater designed after Elizabethan-style theaters. The audience surrounds the stage in a very tight manner, making it an intimate setting for any production. There are even seats right on the stage floor. The theater was set up in the last two months and is abled to be disassembled so that it will be set up at various places in the Claire Trevor School of the Arts or around UCI. Pretty freakin neat idea. I definitely would LOVE to see it at Aldrich Park!! I saw Shakespeare's the Merchant of Venice here on 2/2/12, the second time the theater was open to the public. WONDERFUL production, LOVED it!! The producer, Eli Simon, also gave a little talk just for my group an hour before about the setting of the play and the theater design. The general price was $15, but I got it for $10 (maybe because we went in a large group?). Being so close to the stage was a great experience to see the characters in action! Some definite problems: SEATS! The seats are nailed right into the metal railing of the theater, so the backrest doesn't move and it's squished right up against your butt cushion; basically a very small chair. Except now imagine that it is high above the ground, so you cannot rest your feet to support your body. Consequently, we were all climbing to stay on on seats all night cause we can't lean back, and we're slightly leaning forward all the time. Definitely distracting. Now back to those seats on the stage where you can really admire the actors. ...They're not actually physical seats; you just sit on the ground. Your butt will go numb, so maybe bring a pillow if you want to sit here. But also, you're in complete view of the audience so ladies, don't hitch your knees up and show your undies. Also, if you have to pick your nose or scratch an itch anywhere awkward, the audience may see it. I'd be back because the productions are AMAZING, and I'm 5' so the seat doesn't bother me that much. However, my boyfriend did not enjoy those seats.... read more

Was a little hesitant to write a review for this place because I kinda want to keep it a hidden gem. I saw a Winter's Tale here with one of my friends and it was absolutely fantastic! The acting, costumes, and occasional special effects really were superb. I did have trouble understanding some words here and there but I think I just need to brush up on my shakespearean vocab. The theater is pretty small, but I've never sat in an open air theater and that was pretty dang cool. The seats left me wishing I had been doing squats for the past month to gain a little cushion...and this is literally the only reason I am not giving this place 5 stars. I was sad I didn't get to see their other production this summer, but cannot wait to go next year...and I may just invest in a little portable seat cushion of my own. read more

I was oh so lucky to grab the limited and coveted ticket to UCI's New Swan Shakespeare Fesitval for Merchant of Venice with a modern twist. I was walking around Aldrich Park and came upon the theater and was introduced to it and the festival by one of the members. I quickly got a flyer and checked on-line a few days later to find out that it was sold out! Fortunately, I emailed uci art tickets and they notified me of a new show, originally to be a preview show. Located right upon the steps across from their main library in the Gateway Common area, this theater was built from scatch and is portable. We sat on the top seats which was intimate (came eye to eye with some of the actors) as there seemed to be no bad seats in small theater. Yes the seats aren't the most comfortable and it's narrow but to be in a circular closeness with the stage and actors was amazing especially under the few stars in the Irvine sky. The performance was hands down amazing!! The actors consist of UCI's Drama professors, MFA students, graduates and the performance had so much heart, drama, humor. I left in awe and privileged to be part of this experience. They will be performing King Lear and Midsummer Night's Dream in 2013 and I can't wait to get tickets for both!! $15 if you're not a student but experience is worth much more..priceless! Added tip: Get some Le diplomate sandwiches at the UCI marketplace and walk over with your Peets coffee beforehand to enjoy Aldrich park prior to the show! read more

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All seats in the house were good and I'm speaking from having sat in the "heavens" seats. We heard and saw everything and it was all well executed and done to engage and entertain the audience. We saw "The Merchant of Venice" which is a god-awful play in its total beat-down of a person for mostly racial, ethnic reasons. However, it raises all kinds of discussion points and they put a good performance up for us all in order to start the discourse. read more

Shakespeare is something that I have always had an appreciation for and I have been to many productions in my lifetime. I went to go see Taming of the Shrew last year and it was great. I went to see A Winter's Tale and the production was amazing, similarly to the year before. However the show experience was tainted by other things. First off, my roommates and I did the student rush seating which is free seats for UCI students. This seating was not guaranteed which is 100% understandable. I was just excited to see quality theatre for free as a broke college student. My roommates and I got in line an hour before curtain to make sure that we had the best chance to see the show. However, it turned out that they were sold out and only had two standing room spots for us. So one of my roommates was not able to see it because that is just what they had available. BUT once I got inside I realized that they had added a chair to the audience to accommodate for someone who was in line BEHIND us. I also noticed that there was a regular empty seat in the audience shortly before the show started and they filled it with ANOTHER person who had been behind us in line. So not only did they turn away someone who had been waiting for an hour to see the show, have us they let in stand for the entire production, they also filled the empty seats that they did have with people who got there 10 minutes before curtain. My theatre going experience would have been a lot better if they had been more accommodating and fair towards everyone rather than patronize a select few people and screw over the others. There could be some other reason for this besides people being inconsiderate however it would be MUCH better if they were more transparent about those reasons. Bad house management. read more

Great venue but don't ever bring the kids! I've been coming here every summer for years and absolutely love the setting and most of the performances, but be warned that children are unwelcome regardless of their behavior. My three nieces got kicked out of their Groundling seats during the intermission last night, because one of them hid her face during some shouting scenes and quietly switched between her parents' laps twice during the first part of the play, which "distracted the actors." The older two were perfectly behaved and rapt during the entire performance, but also asked to vacate their seats and told no other seats were available (which was not true, as several people left during the intermission). This was deeply disappointing to me and the 8 other family members I brought along, marring what was otherwise a fascinating and thought-provoking interpretation of The Taming of the Shrew. read more