LMU College of Communication and Fine Arts | Building on the audience excitement for “As You Like It,” a company of Loyola Marymount University players will bring to life Shakespeare’s “Pericles” on July 26 and 27, 2019, in Lawton Plaza. The tale touches on contemporary as well as enduring political and interpersonal issues as it follows a royal family seeking a safe home but that is torn apart by circumstances, yet who are reunited in the end. The play is the second offering of Shakespeare on the Bluff for 2019, a summer theatre festival produced by LMU and now in its second season.
The troupe, comprised of professional actors as well as LMU alumni, faculty and current students, play the first two performances in Lawton Plaza on the LMU campus, and the third performance, on July 28, in the Playa Vista Bandshell.
All Shakespeare on the Bluff performances are free and open to the community, family-friendly, and will be 90 minutes long. Audience members are invited to bring a picnic, lawn chairs, and enjoy a summer’s evening on LMU’s beautiful campus or in Playa Vista. Please note that pets, alcohol, weapons and marijuana are not permitted on campus.
The romantic comedy “As You Like It,” performed in late June and directed by theatre arts faculty Jim Holmes, was the first production of this year’s festival. More than 1,000 theatre lovers of all ages attended over the course of the three performances at LMU and Playa Vista.
Festival Artistic Director Kevin Wetmore will be directing the production of “Pericles.” As the only outdoor Shakespeare festival on the Westside, Wetmore started the event to serve important needs on multiple fronts. “In creating the Shakespeare on the Bluff festival, our mission was to enrich the Westside communities by presenting accessible, interesting and innovative theatre experiences that educate, inspire and entertain,” he said. “At the same time, we are also providing a training ground for the next generation of artists by allowing them to experience and perform classical theatre alongside working professionals.”
Read more about Shakespeare on the Bluff here.
