Focusing In: Cal Shakes

QUICK FACTS

NAME: California Shakespeare Theater

NICKNAME: Cal Shakes

LOCATION: The Bruns Amphitheater, in Orinda

WEBSITE: here

FACEBOOK: here

CAL SHAKES IN THREE WORDS:

Get season tickets. Beautiful, wacky, intelligent. (Or their motto: E pluribus theatrum!)

FAVORITE CAL SHAKES PLAY:

This is a mighty tough question. I’ll go with A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which they put on in 2009. It was so good that I saw it twice. The acting was superb, the set and costumes were magnificent, and I’m still extremely upset that I can’t buy it on DVD.

PEOPLE TO KNOW AT CAL SHAKES:

Jonathan Moscone is the Artistic Director, and has been for the past eleven years; this guy knows what he’s doing. On a less permanent scale, Cal Shakes actors (90% of whom are excellent) tend to cycle through the company, and it’s always a pleasure to see a familiar face, especially when they play a completely different role than you’re used to.

FAVORITE THING ABOUT CAL SHAKES:

Every show they do is clever. I know what you’re thinking: they put on plays by guys like Shakespeare, Shaw, Wilde, and even Steinbeck—aren’t they already clever? You’re right, of course, but if you go see a Cal Shakes production, you’ll know what I mean. They take the classics and shift them a little bit; not so much that you have to squint to see the original work, but enough that you are blown away by their sheer creative genius. Whether they set the show in an unexpected time/place or add pop songs, the amazing actors, designers, and directors at Cal Shakes know exactly how to show you a good time. So before you head to your first show at the Bruns Amphitheater, be warned: you’re going to be hooked.

WHO WOULD YOU TAKE TO A “CLASSIC CAL SHAKES” SHOW?

Everyone I know! I’ve been to Cal Shakes performances with fourteen-year-olds and eighty-year-olds, with Shakespeare buffs and people who’ve never read a single word by the Bard. The audience at any given Cal Shakes show will mostly be an over-fifty crowd, but the crew over there would love to have younger attendees. The best thing about Cal Shakes patrons is that there are always enough of them in attendance to create a sense of community, and no matter your age or background, you get the feeling that that community is something you’d like to be a part of.

ONE IMPORTANT THING TO KNOW ABOUT CAL SHAKES:

Bring a sleeping bag! The Bruns Amphitheater is one of the most spectacular, breathtaking outdoor theaters you’ll ever go to, but let me stress that it is outdoors. Yes, folks, we are in California, but when that fog rolls in you’ll be wishing you had about three more layers on. A cup of lovely, warm Peet’s coffee or tea at intermission will only get you so far.

(Profile written by Clio.)

Below, a production photo from Cal Shakes' Pastures of Heaven. And yes, those hills (and the sky) are real!