Lethbridge society to perform Shakespeare play

A Shakespearean classic will be offered to residents of our city by the Lethbridge Shakespeare Performance Society. The group of actors will be performing a Midsummer Night’s Dream in a socially distanced performance outside. The Society’s President, Kate Connolly, says that the group is excited to be able to offer entertainment once again in a live environment.

The society was formed in 2011, and Connolly says that the plays are for all ages, “We have people there every year from babes in arms, to people in their 90s. Everyone seems to enjoy the outdoor experience.”

A Midsummer Night’s Dream was the first production that the society put on when it started, and it was directed by Andrew Legg, who will be back this year for the 10th anniversary of the group.

Connolly adds that A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a huge crowd-pleaser, “It’s very romantic, has it’s comedic elements, and it also has the involvement of the fairy world.”

This time around, the group has more funding to help out in realizing the play’s full potential, “One of the differences this year is that we will have beautiful period costumes,” says Connolly.

The group recently had auditions for the play in the Kinsman Park in Lethbridge. There were over 25 students and community theatre members that showed up for auditions.

So far there are three bookings for shows at the Nikka Yuko Japanese Gardens, two in July, and one in August.

The current restrictions for outdoor gatherings are limited to 10 people under the Alberta government’s Step 1 of the COVID-19 economic relaunch.

Connolly says that Nikka Yuko and the society are both hoping that bigger crowds can be had by the summer, “We’re hoping to have audiences between 50 and 100,” says Connolly.

For more information on the Lethbridge Shakespeare Performance Society, you can visit their facebook page @LethbridgeShakespeare.