Harrisburg Shakespeare Festival's
Free Shakespeare in the Park
CYMBELINE
June 3-6 and 10-13, 2009
Harrisburg Shakespeare Festival fans are in for a rare treat this summer when the classical theater company presents the playwright’s lush romance, Cymbeline.
Filled with storylines and plot twists all culled from ancient folklore, this play often seems as if it were written in collaboration with the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson. Although Cymbeline is rarely performed, it presents a wonderfully engaging story and also one of Shakespeare’s most charming heroines.
The action centers on the court of old King Cymbeline, an ancient legendary King of England during the height of the Roman Empire. Although the play is named for the King, the true focus of the story is his lovely daughter, Imogen, and her secret and seemingly doomed marriage to her love, Posthumous. Through banishments, deceptions, lies and intrigue, Imogen’s devotion to her husband is tried and tasked.
Will Imogen’s bond with her husband survive the rage of the King, the slander of the scheming villain Iachimo, or the attempted poisoning by her wicked stepmother? Will true love survive? The always-engaging Harrisburg Shakespeare Festival will answer these questions through the magical storytelling and lovely language of their house playwright, William Shakespeare.
We hope that you, your friends and family will all come out and enjoy the Harrisburg Shakespeare Festival’s 16th season at the Levitt Pavilion in Reservoir Park!
Performances will be held at the Levitt Pavilion in Reservoir Park, Harrisburg, Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. from June 3-6, 10-13.
Adopt a Character from Cymbeline!
* A word about seating
* Why a Free Show?
* Directions to Reservoir Park
* Reservoir Park History
* Not sure about the weather?
A WORD ABOUT SEATING
The Levitt Pavilion is an outdoor venue with lawn seating, so please bring a blanket or lawn chair. For more information visit the Levitt Pavilion home page.
A FREE SHOW?
Yes. A free show. Harrisburg Shakespeare Festival was officially founded on March 1, 1994 by J. Clark Nicholson, Melissa H. Nicholson and Thomas A. Hensel. The City of Harrisburg was seeking ideas for performing arts events at Reservoir Park when Clark and Melissa suggested using the bandshell to produce outdoor Shakespeare. The City liked the idea and the Harrisburg Shakespeare Festival was born.
The main goal of HSF is to continue to produce free Shakespeare in Reservoir Park each year. Why? HSF believes that the works of William Shakespeare were written to be performed outdoors for a diverse audience and would like everyone to be able to enjoy and appreciate these great works, regardless of income or background. What better location than Reservoir Park and how better to reach a diverse audience than with free shows!
DIRECTIONS
FROM I-83
Follow I-83 and take the Progress Avenue exit which will lead you onto Route 22. Follow Route 22 until you are able to bear onto Walnut Street. Stay on Walnut Street for approximately 2 miles, heading through 7 traffic lights. After the 7 th light, the road will begin to bend to the right ahead. You will soon see a sign for the Parkside Café. Just before the Café you will bear left into Reservoir Park.
FROM I-81
The best option here is to take I-81 into I-83. Follow I-83 and take the Progress exit, which will lead you onto Route 22. Follow Route 22 until you are able to bear onto Walnut Street. Stay on Walnut Street for approximately 2 miles, heading through 7 traffic lights. After the 7 th light, the road will begin to bend to the right ahead. You will soon see a sign for the Parkside Café. Just before the Café you will bear left into Reservoir Park.
FROM PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE
Take the PA Turnpike and get off at Exit 19, or Harrisburg East. Then take the I-283 exit and merge onto I-283 North. Take I-83 towards Hazleton/Lewistown and merge onto I-83 North. Follow I-83 and take the Progress exit, which will lead you onto Route 22. Follow Route 22 until you are able to bear onto Walnut Street. Stay on Walnut Street for approximately 2 miles, heading through 7 traffic lights. After the 7 th light, the road will begin to bend to the right ahead. You will soon see a sign for the Parkside Café. Just before the Café you will bear left into Reservoir Park.
FROM ROUTE 322
Follow 322 towards I-83 South. Follow I-83 and take the Progress exit, which will lead you onto Route 22. Follow Route 22 until you are able to bear onto Walnut Street. Stay on Walnut Street for approximately 2 miles, heading through 7 traffic lights. After the 7 th light, the road will begin to bend to the right ahead. You will soon see a sign for the Parkside Café. Just before the Café you will bear left into Reservoir Park.
Click here to see a map of the venue on Mapquest.
RESERVOIR PARK HISTORY
In 1872, a reservoir for the City of Harrisburg was built in an undeveloped area outside the city limits, then called Prospect Hill (now Allison Hill). City leaders recognized the spot as a wonderful vantage point to view the Capitol, the river valley and the Blue Mountains and, in 1890, established the area around the reservoir as a park. The Reservoir Park commission was created in order to protect and preserve the park's natural environment. They also wanted to make it the "social spot" of the City and in 1898 added the Reservoir Park Mansion, as well as an 18-hole golf course and picnic facilities after the turn of the century. The Bandshell was dedicated with a plaque in 1940.
Over the past few years through the Parks Improvement Plan, Mayor Reed and the City have been working to make Reservoir Park a social gathering place once again. The Mansion has been restored and includes Recreation Bureau Offices, conference centers and, in conjunction with the Art Association of Harrisburg, three art galleries. Adjacent to the Mansion are four classrooms/studios built to house a variety of art classes for adults and children. Antique-style lights were added to the grounds, the Bandshell was restored, and much work was done to improve and beautify the landscaping. A park ranger station was also constructed and the children's playground was rehabilitated. The most recent addition to Reservoir Park is the new National Civil War Museum which opened in the summer of 2000.
Reservoir Park is also part of the Capital Area Greenbelt. When completed the Greenbelt will be a 20-mile-long trail around Harrisburg linking parks and open spaces for recreational activities such as walking, jogging, bicycling, and hiking. But it does much more than just provide recreation, as it helps to preserve some of the area's fast-disappearing natural landscape and animal habitats, provides educational experiences for old and young alike, and filters urban pollution for the City and the Susquehanna River. The Capital Area Greenbelt Association (CAGA) is a non-profit organization committed to completing and maintaining this natural trail. If you are interested in finding out more about CAGA, please call 717-921-GREEN
WEATHER
Check out the current conditions in and around Harrisburg:
Harrisburg Shakespeare Festival's Weather Policy:
- In the event of heavy rain or thunderstorms the performance will most likely be cancelled. Although we have been known to perform after heavy downpours that ended one half hour prior to curtain time.
- The decision to cancel a performance will be made at the latest possible moment.
- If there is a threat of possible light rain throughout the evening, the performance will proceed with modifications to the sound and lighting systems.
- If rain begins during a performance, we will hold the show for up to 30 minutes. Once the rain stops, we continue the show exactly where we left off. If the rain persists for over 30 minutes, the performance will be cancelled for the evening.
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