A 15-member cast of local actors will perform Shakespeare's "Love's Labour's Lost" for free in Old Mill Park this summer, marking the first production under Curtain Theatre's new artistic director, Doyle Ott.
Ott succeeds longtime director Michele Delattre at the helm of the Mill Valley nonprofit, which has staged free outdoor Shakespeare among the redwoods for 26 years. Lindsey Abbott serves as managing director.
Performances begin Saturday, Aug. 15, and run Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. through Sunday, Sept. 6, with a final show on Labor Day Monday, Sept. 7. No tickets or reservations are needed.
The cast, announced by the Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce on Sunday, July 26, includes Euan Ashley as the King of Navarre, Alexandra Fry as the Princess of France, Diego Hardy as Berowne, and Rachel Ka'iulani Kennealy as Rosaline. Dominic Marco Canty plays Don Armado, with Heather Cherry as Holofernes and David Cole as Costard. William Cagle, Thomas Hutchinson, Thomas Peterson, Tom Reilly, Arya Safavi, Marianne Shine, Faryn Thomure, and Abigail Wissink round out the ensemble.
Behind the scenes, scenic designer Steve Coleman, one of the theatre's three original founders, returns to build sets that use the amphitheater's natural redwood canopy. Music director Don Clark leads a live acoustic ensemble featuring fiddle, mandolin, concertina, flute, and guitar, with musicians Michele Delattre, Jo Lusk, and David Solnit. Robert Horek designed costumes, Peter Bradbury serves as dramaturg, and J.J. Van Name coaches text.
The comedy follows the King of Navarre and three friends who swear off romance to devote themselves to study, only to have their pledge tested when the Princess of France and her companions arrive on diplomatic business.
New this year: Shakespearience, a Mill Valley-based educational stage combat program, will present a student pre-show on Sunday, Aug. 16. Students will demonstrate broadsword and rapier choreography they created themselves before the 2 p.m. main performance.
The Old Mill Park Amphitheatre sits behind the Mill Valley Public Library at 375 Throckmorton Ave. An accessible entrance is on Cascade Drive across from the playground. A limited number of chairs are available first-come, first-served; audience members can also bring blankets or field chairs for the hillside. The theatre recommends a sweater as the park stays cool in the shade.
Curtain Theatre was founded in 2000 by John Leonard, Steve Coleman, and Mikel Clifford to celebrate Mill Valley's centennial with "As You Like It." The board incorporated it as a nonprofit in 2010, naming it after one of London's first public theatres. Ott's appointment marks the company's first artistic director change since Delattre guided the theatre from its early years.
Upcoming performances:
- Saturdays and Sundays, Aug. 15 – Sept. 6, at 2 p.m.
- Labor Day Monday, Sept. 7, at 2 p.m.
- Shakespearience pre-show: Sunday, Aug. 16, before the 2 p.m. show
All shows are free at Old Mill Park Amphitheatre, 375 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley.
