Community theater group presenting Rexburg’s first Shakespeare in the Park

REXBURG — It promises to be a magical evening in the park as Rexburg Community Theatre presents Shakespeare’s timeless classic, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The community is invited to be “whisked away into a world of laughter, romance and mischievous fairies” at Rexburg’s first-ever Shakespeare at the Park.

Rexburg Community Theatre has done many great shows over the years, but Shakespeare in the Park is something special.

“There’s lots of great theater that happens in Rexburg, but people are excited about something that is so accessible,” Samuel Head, one of the production’s directors, told EastIdahoNews.com.

One of Shakespeare’s more famous comedies, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta.

“There’s fairies and love potions … and a guy whose head gets turned into a donkey’s,” Head said, noting that the show is very family friendly.

“It doesn’t have the same kind of grittiness as you’d have with Richard III, who went on a killing spree, or Hamlet,” he said. It’s also not as long as many other Shakespeare performances — under two hours.

Head said the idea for Shakespeare at the Park isn’t a new one. Theater groups have been putting on these productions for at least 45 years. New York’s event has become quite famous.

“I remember seeing one in Pocatello and one in Ohio,” Head remembered. He and his wife thought it would be a great way to introduce people to Shakespeare.

“We thought a production outside, where people could come and enjoy some Shakespeare, would be a good idea,” he said. “The park has a beautiful little stage that is used for a lot of different things, but hasn’t had much chance to be used for a lot of theater.”

The response from the community has been really encouraging, he said. Folks have been been excited and interested.

“People like the concept of free theater that is just out in the park,” he said, noting that Porter Park in the evening has a great ambiance.

Support from the community, both financial and otherwise, has been great, as well.

“The Idaho’s Humanities Council has given us a grant of $1,000 to produce this,” Head said. “Madison (School District) provided props. The city of Rexburg provided venue for free. It’s been really encouraging.”

Head and the event’s other organizers think people should anticipate something that is a lot more accessible than they realize.

“Our actors have been putting in a lot of work to make sure the action helps people understand what’s going on,” he said. “It’s a very accessible play in that regard.”

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will be held July 6 to July 8 and July 10 at the Beehive Pavilion in Porter Park in Rexburg. A pre-show will begin at 6:30 p.m., which will include dancing, a monologue, a cello performance and more. The play will begin at 7 p.m., with a cast and crew Q&A afterward.

“We are excited to perform for the community,” Head said.

Watch highlights of the production in the video player below.