Restaurants, Shops & Schools Will Join in the Fun March 19 – 22, 2014
Orcas Community Plays a Part in the 3rd Annual Festival!
— from Lance Evans —
Renowned Shakespeare actors and enthusiastic small-town performers are coming together on Orcas Island for four days of entertainment.
The Third Annual Shakespeare Festival will feature a production by the Seattle Shakespeare Company, parades and impromptu acting by Orcas musicians and performers both young and old, and a variety of offerings from island restaurants, hotels and shops for visitors and locals alike.
The festival events get underway on Thursday, March 19, and conclude on Saturday, March 22.
This year’s festival will also feature a lecture by George Washington University Professor Ayanna Thompson – a renowned Shakespeare scholar. The lecture on Friday, March 21, will be in collaboration with Orcas Crossroads (www.orcascrossroads.org).
• For three days (Wednesday, March 19 – Friday, March 21) event-goers can enjoy a fun-filled, fast-paced abridged rendition of “The Complete Works of Shakespeare” at Random Howse in Eastsound.
• A fundraising dinner at Sazio di Notte restaurant takes place on Thursday, March 20, and features Professor Thompson, and actors from Seattle Shakespeare Company.
• On Friday, March 21, Seattle Shakespeare Company will present a production of Romeo & Juliet for the Orcas Island schools.
The Stage on the Green, located in the heart of the island, will be home to numerous festival activities all day Saturday, March 22, including stage performances and music of the period. Saturday will also include a Farmers Market and parade of islanders inspired by the festival. That evening, a performance of Othello will be presented at the island’s version of “The Globe” – the 200-seat Orcas Center, the community’s performing arts facility.
Tickets for the March 22 performance of Othello will go on sale in mid-February, and will be available through the Orcas Center Box Office (360-376-2281) or its WEBSITE. Tickets will also be available at BROWN PAPER TICKETS.
Orcas Island, one of the San Juan Islands, is famous for its natural beauty, and is often referred to as the “Gem of the San Juans.” Festival Director Michell Marshall realizes why Orcas Island embraces the festival. “With an amazing variety of talented local artists, Orcas has earned the reputation as an ‘Island for the Arts,’ and this year’s Shakespeare Festival will only add to that reputation.”
