Heart of America Shakespeare Festival’s Twelfth Night opens in just five days. Here are five things to know before heading out to Southmoreland Park this summer.
1. We wouldn’t have Twelfth Night without the First Folio.
When John Heminges and Henry Condell put together 36 of Shakespeare’s plays for the First Folio in 1623, they printed 18 plays not previously published before. Many of those plays have been seen on the Festival stage over the years, including Macbeth, As You Like It, and The Winter’s Tale. This summer’s selection would have also been lost had it not been for the First Folio. Before you come see Twelfth Night, see the book that saved it almost 400 years ago at the Central branch of the Kansas City Public Library. First Folio! The Book That Gave Us Shakespeare is on display in the Missouri Valley Room until June 28. Just like the Festival’s production, the Folio exhibit is free and open to the public.
2. This year’s production will feature LIVE music…
Festival Composer Greg Mackender has been writing and recording music for the Festival productions for over 20 years. This year, Mackender brings the famous Twelfth Night line “If music be the food of love, play on!” to life. With noted stride pianist Bram Wijnands , Mackender will play Festival actors onto the stage every night in the park. Phil Fiorini, playing the fool Feste, will sing the Bard’s original lyrics alongside the musicians.
3. …In the stylings of the 1920s.
Not only will the music be live, it will also take you back to the Roaring Twenties and the artists of the Lost Generation. Director Sidonie Garrett has chosen to set Twelfth Night in the 1920s to give the production “a more buoyant feel.” Costume Designer Mary Traylor has taken inspiration from the French Riviera in the 1920’s to design suits, dresses, and loungewear of the period. If you want to refresh yourself on the ‘20’s lifestyle before coming to the park, add books by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and Gertrude Stein to your summer reading list. If you want a visual, check out 1920’s films like The Flapper, or the 2011 Midnight in Paris , a contemporary film all about longing for a different time.
See previous scenic and costume designs from the Festival’s 24-year production history on display in Shakespeare: Setting the Stage, a free exhibition also on display at the Central branch of the Kansas City Public Library until July 3.
4. Let the Festival take care of dinner for you.
You can always pack a cooler and haul it into the park, but there are lots of delicious (and easier to carry) food and drink items available for purchase. Enjoy a wrap, salad, or sandwich paired with sides of pasta or potato salad. If you’re over 21, grab a glass of wine or a beer from Embrace the Grape. Indulge in a funnel cake or
sno cone at intermission. And of course, it wouldn’t be the Festival without kettle corn. The Festival accepts both cash and cards in the park, and all vendors will be open through intermission.
5. Let us save you a seat, too.
On a busy night toward the end of the summer, up to 2,000 patrons can walk through Southmoreland Park’s front gates. While seating is free and open to the public, all spots in the lawn are first-come, first-served. Rather than waiting in line for the gates to open right at 6:00 p.m., order a reserved seat or blanket spot before the show. We’ll have your chair or spot ready and waiting for you whenever you walk into the gate – but be sure to come in time to enjoy the Show Talk at 7:00 p.m. and the Team Shakespeare parody performances at either 6:30 p.m. or 7:15 p.m. Reserved chairs and blankets are $25 each. Make your reservation by calling the Festival office at 816-531-7728.
Twelfth Night runs June 14 – July 3, Tuesdays through Sundays in Southmoreland Park. Gates open at 6:00 p.m. Showtime is 8:00 p.m. For more information, visit www.kcshakes.org
For updates and behind-the-scenes photos, follow the Festival on Instagram and Twitter @kcshakes
–Alyson Germinder, Heart of America Shakespeare Festival Dramaturg
