bard at bloedel

Image courtesy of BPA

BPA's "As You Like It" - That's a Wrap

After villainy, romance, humor and yes, a happy ending, Bainbridge Performing Arts (BPA) has concluded its 7th Annual Summertime Shakespeare performance, As You Like It. Armed with blankets, foldable chairs and delectable picnics, islanders and…

After villainy, romance, humor and yes, a happy ending, Bainbridge Performing Arts (BPA) has concluded its 7th Annual Summertime Shakespeare performance, As You Like It.

Armed with blankets, foldable chairs and delectable picnics, islanders and neighboring participants enjoyed the Bard at Bloedel.  Bloedel Reserve, an internationally renowned public garden, aims “to provide refreshment and tranquility in the presence of natural beauty” – a mission that aligns flawlessly with the BPA Shakespeare Society’s summertime performance.  The partnership had another successful year.

Some evenings were chilly, others were balmy, but the meadow offered consistent delight with the fluttering of verses such as:

All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts….

(from As You Like It, spoken by Jaques)

This passage stood out to Siobhan Maguire, BPA’s Operations Manager, as she sat in the meadow “watching the glorious colors of the evening sky cast a magical glow on the actors.”

This performance marked director Kristi Ann Jacobson’s seventh year with BPA Shakespeare and her fifth year on the production team.  Running just over two hours, with one intermission, this year’s show attracted over 1,600 people, according to Maguire.

This surprised her.

“The number of families that attended, it’s wonderful to see kids experiencing Shakespeare for the first time. Despite being written over 400 years ago, so much of the language is relevant and fun for them. It’s a childhood memory that we are very proud to play a small part in.”

With the wrap of As You Like It, BPA is now focused on the Island Theatre Ten Minute Play Festival Aug 15th – 17th.  Ten of the best short plays penned by Kitsap County playwrights for a three-day festival of live performances at Bainbridge Performing Arts. 

The plays have been selected from over sixty submissions by a blind judging panel of theatre professionals.  Plays will be helmed by ten local directors and cast with over two dozen local actors.  In works that range from serious drama to light-hearted comedy, these ten local playwrights offer surprising reflections on modern life. 

From relationships to immigration, sexual identity to television culture, they capture the quirks and challenges of a world in transition.  More details are available at bainbridgeperformingarts.org.