Shakespeare in the Park hits Malta June 30

Montana Shakespeare in the Parks will perform William Shakespeare’s “Richard III” and “The Comedy of Errors” during its upcoming summer tour of 61 communities throughout Montana, northern Wyoming, eastern Idaho, western North Dakota and eastern Washington including a Malta performance on Thursday, June 30 at 6:30 at the Phillips County Courthouse lawn.

The company features 10 professional actors selected from national auditions who tour without technical assistance to bring live theatre to mostly rural communities. This summer, 66 percent of the communities reached by the troupe have populations of 5,000 or fewer.

“We are very much looking forward to producing both plays this summer,” said Kevin Asselin, executive artistic director. “This will be the first time in MSIP’s 44-year history that we’ll bring “Richard III” to our stage. “Richard” will fit right into what is already an active political year, reminding us how Shakespeare stays relevant even 400 years after his death. We are also excited to announce that this season will be dedicated to all of our hard working and dedicated tour coordinators from across the region!”

Asselin will direct “Richard III,” while Chris Duval, a University of Utah professor with many credits at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, will direct “The Comedy of Errors,” which the company has not performed since 2002.

All performances, with the exception of those at Bozeman’s Sweet Pea Festival, are free and open to the public. Audiences are encouraged to arrive early with chairs, blankets and picnics.

Montana Shakespeare in the Parks is an outreach program of Montana State University’s College of Arts and Architecture. Grants, corporate sponsorships and hundreds of individual donors support the free performances.

Major sponsors include the National Endowment for the Arts: Artworks, The Gilhousen Family Foundation, The Gianforte Family Foundation, Pheasant Farms, Subaru of America, Spectec: Thunderbird International Corporation, Montana Arts Council, Community First Fund of Montana, Barnard Construction, NorthWestern Energy, D.A. Davidson and Company, KBZK, the MSU Alumni Foundation, and Yellowstone Public Radio.

For more information on the plays and a complete tour schedule, visit the company’s website: http://www.shakespeareintheparks.org.