Actors’ Theatre of Columbus

This summer I believe The Theater Troupe has been hit hard financially by the rainy weather.
That’s very sad when you experience a summer treat through this theater as you would in New York city…
The sound system is much improved.
I attended Captain Blood and just this past weekend Richard III… ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR!
It’s the commitment to a professional theater experience that those in our community work so hard to provide all of us… for free.
ATTEND each of the Schiller Park shows… look for pieces at Easton and Columbus Commons!
Attend! Donate! Support!
We each need the Arts… The Arts need us!

So right off the bat, I love Schiller Park, so the location is great for me. Show starts at 8, we showed up juuuust before and were still able to get a decent spot in the blanket area (chairs are only allowed behind the footpath). I’d shoot for getting there at 7:30 if you want prime real estate in front of the stage, AND get a parking spot (we parked on the street).
Show was great (Richard III), with a really strong showing from the actor in the titular role. I’m still giving it four stars because I love the idea, and am willing to chalk this up to being a fluke, but there were a TON of tech problems. Mics cutting in and out, actor’s mics being left on when they go offstage (causing us to hear a «girl, do your thing!» in the middle of a pretty dramatic scene onstage), etc. I’m hoping it was just one night of issues, but other than that, it was great!

I expected to grade this four stars. Previous performances of this summer’s must-​do, four stars – if not three – is apt. Three though is a bit harsh for a free, community centered play – it’s Columbus after-​all, not LA or New York; though there has been a few summers of my discontent. This year’s though was excellent, at least for Richard III now playing Thursday through Sunday until August 2^nd.
Cleverly set and costumed as a 1950s gangster tale, the play is still acted in its original language. The character are dressed in gangster suits and mob queen dresses foreground a mid-​20^th century cityscape. I love the creative change of some characters to accommodate the setting –Richard’s servant here is a clipboard holding personal assistant, the court recorder is now a notepad nosey daily reporter, the regal messengers become heavy with a Brooklyn accent, the executioners are gun toting hit men. It all worked and was entertaining this year.
I also applaud the acting. The lead, Dickie 3, was played well by Geoff Wilson. I also loved Beth Josephsen as Elizabeth Woodville, Edward IV’s queen consort. She really remade Elizabeth as a strong mob-​wife who could go shoulder to shoulder with the men.
Of course you may not be familiar with Shakespeare’s plays, or like them from force readings during school. Seeing it is different; you need not worry about archaic turns of phrase or Tudor court diction. You can easily follow along with context and tone of voice. The plays are meant to be seen acted anyways, not read. Of course some background could help so I suggest reading the history of Richard 3 online, or watching a documentary beforehand so you’ll better understand. With two Henry’s, two Richards, two Edwards, three Elizabeth’s as well as the fact that each noble can go by their endowed name as well it can get confusing. (there is a reason why they make you memorize the Kings of England in Shakespeare classes.)
They do more then Shakespeare. Later in the season they will do a comedic run-​through of literature that sounds like good parody and satire. I’ll be there.
It is free but please donate. You can bring a chair but I prefer a blanket and a spot near the stage. Don’t forget bug spray. I was eaten alive because I forgot; my kingdom for some DEET.

What can I say that has not been said? The Actor’s Theater of Columbus, particularly their pay as you can spring — summer performances, are wonderful. My boyfriend and I recently attended «Captain Blood» and truly enjoyed the evening.
Schiller Park and its ampatheater make for a nice setting. With the playground, pond, courts and paths remaining open throughout the show, l felt very much a part of the surrounding scene without being completely distracted. The ducks and bats flying over add character. Plus the recreation center bathrooms and a snack stand (think popcorn, ice cream and water) are available through the end of intermission.
Such open access to theater should be treasured, so grab your beach chair or blanket and enjoy the show.

Actor’s Theater is another one of Columbus’ «hidden gems». They have been presenting plays (predominately Shakespeare) in Schiller Park in German Village since 1982 and they are now well into their 32^nd season. Their season generally runs from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend at Schiller Park in German Village and starting last year there has been one post-​Labor Day production in Columbus Commons.
This is «free theater» in the park but — as they always point out — «free really isn’t free». Actually it’s more of a «pay what you will» theater since they «pass the basket» during intermission for donations.
Schiller Park in German Village is a beautiful park and is a nice place to visit even when not coming for Actor’s Theater. But — there’s nothing better on a nice summer evening than to bring a picnic and either a chair or a blanket (they reserve the front section for blankets only) and to enjoy an evening of food and theater. Be forewarned, however, that the front row seats are usually taken by about 6:30. Many people will stop and drop off their chairs to save their space then walk to one of the German Village restaurants for dinner. Personally, while I think there are some great restaurants in German Village, I still prefer the picnic aspect of coming to the park.
Generally — they present 3 plays in Schiller Park and — as noted above — have recently started offering a 4^th production in Columbus Commons. In the early 2000’s — they were only doing 2 plays and for a part of their history they did 3 Shakespeare plays. Currently, their season includes 1 or 2 Shakespeare productions and 1 or 2 non-​Shakespeare plays. Their non Shakespeare productions have included classics such as The Three Musketeers (2009), The Scarlet Pimpernel (2011), Robin Hood (2012) and King Artheru and the Sword of Britian (2013) among others.
Actor’s Theater presents some interesting twists and not have of their productions are truly classic Shakespeare. For example, they did Romeo and Juliet in 2013 (Columbus Commons) and presented it set in a post apocalyptic New York City; also in 2013 they presented Twelfth Night set in the 1980’s (costumes and all) — and several years ago they did one of their Shakespeare productions (I think it was Macbeth) wearing Civil War costumes. Their opening production this season was Hamlet and they featured a female actress in the role of Hamlet (BTW — she was not only female but is also a teenager and she was EXCELLENT in the role).
This is a great way to spend a summer evening. Productions are Thursday thru Sunday evenings and — not surprisingly — Friday and Saturday are the most crowded.

As long as I’ve been in Columbus, the city’s own provider of Shakespeare in the park has been one of my favorite sources of entertainment. What could be better than stretching out on a blanket on a mild summer evening and listening to the Bard’s words? Well, getting to do it for free, of course ($ 5 suggested donation, really, but they aren’t pushy for it)!
But how good can free theatre be, you might be wondering?
Well… for the first bunch of years, the spottiness of the performances was always the weakness. Every play would have a few standout performers, a number of perfectly adequate performers, and a few that you had to do your best to ignore, lest they drag your enjoyment of the show down with them. Doing Shakespeare naturally is hard! And, well, every Much Ado About Nothing has its Keanu Reeves. So an iffy production would not have kept me from coming back for another one. But it probably would have prevented me from giving them five stars.
The 2013 season, however, seems to have injected the company with a dose of charisma. While the number of standout actors hasn’t really changed (I guess standing out works that way by definition), there has been an overall improvement.
One thing I have done differently this season, though, has been to start attending the non-​Shakespeare performances. Aside from a production of the comedy «The Complete Works of Shakespeare, Abridged» a few years ago — always a favorite for me – I hadn’t gone to anything not written by Will himself there. And now I regret it. The two non-​Shakey productions I saw this summer, «King Arthur and the Sword of Britain» and «The Beaux’ Strategem,» were among the best shows I’ve seen put on by the Actors’ Theatre.
The Shakespeare, of course, is often creatively set and directed. This year’s «Twelfth Night» was set in the 1980s. A «Taming of the Shrew» one year was cross-​cast, with male actors in the female roles and vice versa. My all-​time favorite, though, was 2006’s «Twelfth Night» (actually my favorite Shakespeare comedy anyway), set in the early 20^th century. I have no idea who the actor was who played Feste, but his performance inspired me to name the cat I adopted that month after the character. (In the more recent one, Feste was played by/​as a woman, and it worked rather smoothly in the ‘80s context.)
So some tips:
1) Don’t be a Shakespeare chauvinist like I was. Just because there’s something romantic about the «Shakespeare in the park» concept, the Actors’ Theatre seems to have a good sense of what other kinds of productions will play well in the outdoor setting.
2) You can bring food and drink, blankets or lawn chairs to the Schiller Park shows, but the seating is blankets-​only in front of the horizontal pathway. I suspect the people who sit in the closest row of lawn chairs probably get there pretty early. The view in the blankets-​only section, however, is always nice and clear because you’re below the stage.
3) There is a snack stand where the most popular purchase seems to be ice cream.
4) Get there on time or early. They start VERY promptly. I always miss the first five minutes because I always forget how prompt they are.
5) Don’t forget to have small bills with you. Although the donations are only suggested and not required, give if you can afford it.
But do go and give it a try. You have nothing to lose!

This is one of the best things to do on a weekend night in the summer. Not only is it great entertainment, it is FREE!!! This is my second summer going to the park to watch the Actors’ Theatre renditions of Shakespeare. Some of the plays are better than others but I am never really disappointed. I usually go with a group of friends and we all bring something to share with the group (food and drinks). We also all bring large blankets and pillows since you sit on the lawn. It is also now tradition that we go to Jenni’s ice cream before the evening gets started.
I was never much into Shakespeare but I still find this to be one of my favorite summer weekend outings.
So bring your own goodies or buy from the vendor at the park, and enjoy your evening.

What a great experience!
A «Pay what you want» theatre company in the beautiful Schiller Park, the Actor’s Theatre is well produced, enjoyable, and offers a great opportunity to sit in the park with a picnic lunch and watch live performances. If someone suggests taking a night to go out for a show, take them up on it, and then walk down to Jenis or another German Village spot for a nice treat afterwards!
One bit of warning — the only public bathrooms are in the Schiller Park rec center, and the center is closed after second intermission. Lines will be long and you should try to go early if at all possible.

This is another of Columbus’ best kept secrets, although (and good for the actors!!) it is gaining in popularity every summer. I came upon my first play by accident. A friend and I were just walking around the park, and saw the stage and the gathering crowd. I had a big blanket in my car, so we stayed to see the play. I’ve been hooked ever since! These plays are very professionally done. And while it is free, they ask for donations… I urge people to at the least give a few bucks, as this is run on a shoe string budget and it would be a real shame to ever see this go! This is always one of the things I truly look forward to every summer… its usually a nice crowd of people, the acting is very good, and there is no better way to spend a nice summer’s evening under the stars with a bottle of wine and/​or picnic. Take a group, take a date, or go alone… any way you go, you feel comfortable and won’t be disappointed.

How can you not love free Shakespeare being performed in a beautiful park?
The Actors’ Theatre Company is one of central Ohio’s (and not just the city’s) premier public theatres, which take place throughout the summer on the gazebo at Schiller Park in German Village.
We can blame the whole wonderful thing on a dog. 25 years ago, two German Village residents would walk their dog in Schiller Park and petitioned the city to produce free plays on the unused bandstand. Their love of Shakespeare turned into a summer tradition of Shakespeare in the Park, which eventually led to the founding of The Actors’ Theatre Company. The first play, a Midsummer’s Night Dream, drew more almost 5,000 people and continues to grow. Through company has grown from an amateur, volunteer group to an extremely reputable, professional (non-​profit) company. Funding is derived from the German Village Society and other agencies, such as the Ohio Arts Council, GCAC; and corporations such as Nationwide Insurance.
The plays are wonderful! Not just because they are free, but because the company is composed of professional and seriously talented actors. The season runs from May through August and takes place in the evenings. There is no formal seating for the productions, but chairs are permitted behind the walkway, while blankets are the seating of choice in front of the stage.
Even though the performances are seasonal, this is truly a bright spot in Columbus’s art world.