Seek’st thou merriment beneath the summer's sun? (Looking for some free entertainment this summer?) Then cast thine eyes no further, Shakespeare in the Park hath begun! (Look no further than Shakespeare in the Park.)
The real actors can do it better... so head to Delaware Park to see some of the most classic and timeless pieces of theater.
Shakespeare in Delaware Park is celebrating 50 years this year. For nearly half a century, free theater in Delaware Park has been a staple of Buffalo's summer plans. Audiences bring a blanket or lawn chair, some sandwiches and snacks, and perhaps family and friends to the main stage at the park to enjoy a Shakespearean evening for free.
Each summer, the event presents two pieces of William Shakespeare, typically one tragedy or history and one comedy. Each show runs six nights per week for three and a half weeks, for a total of 44 performances.
This summer, Shakespeare in Delaware Park is presenting "Twelfth Night" Tuesdays through Sundays at 7 pm through July 13, and "Richard III" from July 24 through August 17.
The magnificence of Shakespeare in the Park is magnified by its home, Delaware Park. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in 1868, the park is filled with greenery, open areas perfect for games and picnics, and a beautiful lake. Olmsted anticipated that Delaware Park would one day be recognized as a world-class park.
The 350-acre park is one of the three original parks in Buffalo's Olmsted Park System, along with Front Park and Martin Luther King Jr. Park. It's a park with a landscape that Olmsted and Vaux labeled a "country park."
That label creates the perfect backdrop for a Shakespearean work. Delaware Park is just one of the few landmarks in Buffalo that make a beautiful theater setting.
BTPM PBS' Shakespeare's Greatest Hits, filmed in iconic locations throughout Western New York, highlights popular Shakespearean monologues.
In this episode of Shakespeare's Greatest Hits, Rolando Gomez delivers a passionate and heartfelt performance of “If Music be the Food of Love…” as Duke Orsino from "Twelfth Night" in the world-renowned Kleinhans Music Hall in Buffalo, New York.
For a sneak peek at the next Shakespeare in the Park show, "Richard III", Gabriella McKinley and a riveting performance of the monologue “No Fear” as Lady Anne, filmed at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, NY.
Shakespeare's Greatest Hits is available to stream on btpm.org and the free PBS App.
Whether you're watching from a phone screen or a blanket in the park, a Shakespeare play is an experience that even theater novices can enjoy. The experience is made that much better with one of Buffalo's beautiful backdrops.