OXBOW, THEN THE BARD: Free summer Shakespeare? We have a not-too-controversial theory that if it is a summer month starting with a J then someone somewhere is "forsoothing" someone else, likely under a tree, and people are watching it, for free. Challengers to this? There are none, because summertime Shakespeare is a happy way of life, and thank goodness. And while we would love to see "A Midsummer's Night Dream" performed in some rustic glade one day, we'll take our plays in a restaurant-adjacent setting, thank you very much, especially if we're pocketing that admission money and can spend it on appetizers. (Yep, the Oxbow Public Market is nearby, as well as many other assorted tasty places.) So we're thankful that Shakespeare Napa Valley is forsoothing its merry way into Veteran's Park in downtown Napa for a late July run. And the play? The oh-so-delightful, mistaken-identity fest we all know and adore: "Twelfth Night."
AND THE SETTING IS... The Wild West. Probably like you, we'll watch anything set in the Wild West, but a classic Shakespeare romantic confection? Please. We've circled Friday, July 20 through Sunday, July 22 and Friday, July 27 through Sunday, July 29, hard, in red pen. There's one more money matter to discuss here, beyond the fact that this is a free offering: This production nearly didn't happen, due to budget cuts, but community fund-raising efforts saved the day. So should we relish it all the more? We should. Nope, things weren't easy in the Wild West, and definitely not back in the Bard's day, and we have our own challenges in the here and now. So will we enjoy this cultural feast all the more? We shall, with a grand huzzah.
