Shakespeare in the Parks To Perform in Malta Today, Zortman on Saturday

Two performances by the Montana Shakespeare in the Parks are scheduled in the county this week. The theatre presentation of “The Winter’s Tale” will be Wednesday, July 3 at Trafton Park, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, July 6 at Zortman, the theatrical group will provide entertainment with “Hamlet” and this production will be held at the American Prairie Antelope Creek Campground. This site is at 61080 US Hwy 191 South, at Zortman, Mont. This site might be a new one to many, it is located at the D-Y, and then one can follow the road toward Landusky. The site will be on your left if you have come from the D-Y. An individual the PCN contacted about the address told us the best way to find it is to do a Google map search and put the address in. The location is under the big, blue Montana sky, and is somewhat remote. The Director of Community Access and Engagement, Hannah Jacobsma, of MSIP, shared that Zortman and Birney are the only two scheduled stops that do not have an alternative venue for the play in case of inclement weather. Sometimes being special has its downfalls.

Both presentations last about two hours.

The MSIP site shares the following information about the adventures. Bring a lawn chair, pack a picnic, grab your friends and come enjoy this free world class performance. Guests with high back chairs are asked to sit in a location that will allow those sitting on the ground or blankets to see.

Now in it’s 52nd year of presentations, the touring group continues to bring the fine arts to not only large cities and towns, it introduces the small communities to fine works of literature and a culture that some can only envision in their mind. MSIP has a busy schedule, traveling to five states, and in those states will perform each of the two plays a total of 39 times each, for a total of 78 curtain calls in 65 communities.

Presently there are 11 actors/actresses that travel together on the road. Jacobsma said, “Our visits are unique, we are often guests of families within the community. We have our evening meal with them and are their overnight guests. In the morning we enjoy breakfast with them before we leave and travel on. This is a warm feeling we look forward to and enjoy!”

“As for The Winter’s Tale, this play spans sixteen years during which a jealous king accuses his wife of infidelity and exiles his newborn daughter to Bohemia where she is raised by shepherds and, ultimately, falls in love with the Bohemian king’s son. Audiences are sure to relish this story of love, loss, and forgiveness.

The play is one of Shakespeare’s last, and as such, is blessed with a writer who really understood how to manipulate the form to achieve new heights of storytelling,” shares Eva Breneman, Director of The Winter’s Tale.

Both productions have elements of comedy and tragedy (and in the case of Winter’s Tale, a healthy dose of magic!). All ages are welcome to attend and enjoy the performances.

Hamlet tells the story of the young prince of Denmark who returns home following the sudden death of his father. The most famous ghost story ever told, Hamlet grapples with the weight of his responsibility to avenge his father’s death, to out-maneuver his traitorous uncle, and “to be, or not to be.” With some of Shakespeare’s most memorable lines and iconic characters, audiences won’t want to miss this tale of love and loss, duty vs desire, and the power of performance.

“I do believe that all of Shakespeare’s plays are timeless, but Hamlet has a point of view that everybody can identify with. I think we are all individually a version of Hamlet and can relate to the character on some level,” says Kevin Asselin, MSIP Executive Artistic Director and director of Hamlet.

The various plays are not repeated by MSIP for about 10 years or more.

The Director spends time carefully in choosing what will be selected; a lot of the decision is based on relevance to “why” and “why now”; the selections allow the audiences to see themselves in characters in the 21st century from the 14th century.

It will never get closer than a stroll through the park…Trafton Park, on Wednesday, July 3, or amid the splendor of the Little Rockies on July 5th at Zortman.