LOS ANGELES — Loyola Marymount University’s popular Shakespeare on the Bluff summer festival opens for its fifth season with performances of “Julius Caesar” on June 24 and 25 and “The Tempest” on July 22 and 23. Following two years of virtual events, LMU welcomes the community to see the plays for free and in person at the new Drollinger Family Stage, an outdoor venue on the Westchester campus.
“The very definition of theatre is that it’s live, and the performers and the audience are all in the same space together,” said LMU Theatre Arts Professor Kevin Wetmore, who serves as Shakespeare on the Bluff artistic director. “And that’s what I missed on Zoom, that sort of immediate feedback from the people watching.”
“One of the things that we’ve always encouraged is for our audiences to not be passive, but to clap, to boo the villains, cheer the heroes. That just fuels the actors,” Wetmore said. “The audience is the only thing that you can’t rehearse. It’s so exciting to be back in front of them.”
Presented by LMU Theatre Arts in the College of Communication and Fine Arts, the shows will feature more than 30 performers, including LMU undergraduate and graduate students, alumni and some guest artists, including those from other universities.
As in prior years, Wetmore said, the festival selected two Shakespeare plays, one serious (“Julius Caesar”) and one fun (“The Tempest”). Wetmore will direct “Julius Caesar,” which examines the power of rhetoric to move a mob to violence, while Jane McEneaney will direct “The Tempest,” Shakespeare’s second-to-last play that tells a story of redemption and the magic of a performance to heal.
All performances are on the Drollinger Family Stage in Lawton Plaza, where festival-goers are invited to bring lawn chairs and picnic blankets to watch Shakespeare under the stars.
“After two years of ‘Shakespeare in a Box’ performances on Zoom, I am delighted to once again welcome the community to engage theatre at LMU in a beautiful outdoor setting,” said CFA Dean Bryant Keith Alexander. “Adding to the excitement, this year marks Shakespeare on the Bluff’s inaugural performance in a brand-new, open-air venue in the heart of campus. The Drollinger Family Stage will become the festival’s permanent home.”
The 90-minute plays are family friendly, free and open. The shows start at 8 p.m. Reservations are requested in the event of changing COVID-19 policies and protocols; RSVP here.
Performances
“Julius Caesar”
June 24 and 25, 2022, 8 p.m.
The rise of a beloved general. A conspiracy at the highest levels to assassinate him. The war that follows his murder. One of Shakespeare’s earliest and greatest tragedies. Shakespeare on the Bluff cries “Havoc!” and lets slip the dogs of war in Julius Caesar. Directed by Kevin Wetmore; featuring Paul Barrois as Caesar and Khaleana Stell as Brutus.
“The Tempest”
July 22 and 23, 2022, 8 p.m.
In one of Shakespeare’s final plays, Prospero summons a mighty storm. But is it to enact horrible revenge? Or to make the world right again, while helping his daughter Miranda find true love? Shakespeare on the Bluff weaves a magical tale of the power of stories and forgiveness, with monsters, fairies, and villains lurking on the beach. Directed by Jane McEneaney; featuring Ronnie Clark as Prospero.
