What says Eugene more than whimsical free events and celebrating the arts? On Saturday, Aug. 10, Free Shakespeare in the Park, a dedicated theater company in Eugene, put on their weekly performance of “The Tempest.”
With sparking costumes and even brighter performances, the show captivated the crowd at Amazon Park. Families and Eugene locals equipped with picnic blankets and lawn chairs filled the Amazon Park lawn amphitheater, buzzing with excitement. People brought pizza and fresh fruit on the sunny afternoon to enjoy during the show.
The Tempest, Shakespeare’s final solo work, tells a story of forgiveness and romance following a tragic shipwreck. With themes of magic, family and betrayal, the show teaches the audience the lesson of forgiveness, while showcasing just how spirited Shakespeare plays can be.
Saturday, the cast and crew of the show carried out this message well. With standout performances from leading man Christian Abbott (Prospero) and his charming onstage daughter, Hailey Flynn (Miranda), the show lit up Amazon Community Center’s amphitheater with passion for the arts and good storytelling.
Sharon Selove, founder and artistic director of FSITP, started the theater company in the spring of 1999. Motivated by her love of theater and childhood viewings of Shakespeare in the park in New York City, she aimed to create a similar tradition here in Eugene.
“For me, Shakespeare in the park is about community. It’s about bringing the community together to have this wonderful collective experience,” she said. “We get to experience not only the arts and Shakespeare, which is my passion, but we also get to experience each other.”
Selove’s and the entire FSITP program’s commitment to community bonding and love of theater has propelled the summer productions to success.
Regarding the funding of the show, Selove said, “All of the funds that we raise through donations go to our program. They pay for our costumes, our sound. The first 10 years, we had no sound, our actors were just speaking Shakespeare to the wind!”
The theater company also received a grant from the city of Eugene called Art in the Parks, which supports the project and helps cover costs and upgrades.
Thanks to these community donations and grants, FSITP can now afford costumes, sets, and a sound system to put on summer productions like The Tempest. This support allows them to put on great performances, while keeping them accessible to the community in Eugene.
“We just keep building and building and the community comes out for us every year,” Selove said. “It’s just been a wonderful experience and we want it to continue forever.”
These sentiments echoed throughout the audience as well. Bill Winkley, local theater enthusiast and attendee of the show, spoke about the theater company’s performances, saying, “It’s amazing, everybody up there. Their energy, their passion!”
Winkley, who has acted in several Shakespeare productions himself, commended the cast and crew of FSITP. “The director must really know theater, they know how to play to the audience. It’s a really talented group of people doing this,” He said.
Although some might not initially consider Shakespeare in the Park as their top choice for a Saturday evening, they might reconsider after seeing one of the performances at Amazon Community Center amphitheater. Through creative costuming and passionate performances across the board, FSITP showed on Saturday evening that Shakespeare can be fun and accessible to all.
Elsa Siedler, youngest member of FSITP, spoke about her perspective on Shakespeare. “I think that a lot of people have difficulty with the language in Shakespeare plays, but I really enjoy it,” she said. “I like how poetic and dramatic it is. There’s a lot of potential in these shows.”
Every Saturday and Sunday in August, The Tempest starts at 6 p.m. on Amazon Community Center’s south lawn. With a two-hour runtime and 15-minute intermission, don’t miss this great community event. A great example of how Eugene comes together for the sake of art and creativity, free Shakespeare in the park keeps theater alive, while bringing people together as the summer season comes to an end.