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Ms. Cheap: Summer Shakespeare is back




Summer Shakespeare 2021 will include Kennie Playhouse Theatre’s production of August Wilson’s “JITNEY,” which is a snapshot of Black life in 1977 Pittsburgh through the lens of a tight-knit group of independent cab drivers.Courtesy / Nashville Shakespeare Festival/mainstreet-nashville

Summer Shakespeare 2021 will include Kennie Playhouse Theatre’s production of August Wilson’s “JITNEY,” which is a snapshot of Black life in 1977 Pittsburgh through the lens of a tight-knit group of independent cab drivers.Courtesy / Nashville Shakespeare Festival/mainstreet-nashville

The Nashville Shakespeare Festival, which is one of the few free Shakespeare festivals in the country, is back for 2021 — with two plays taking the outdoor stage.

Summer Shakespeare 2021 will include Kennie Playhouse Theatre’s production of August Wilson’s “JITNEY,” which is a snapshot of Black life in 1977 Pittsburgh through the lens of a tight-knit group of independent cab drivers. It is rated “MA” for mature audiences. And the Nashville Shakespeare Festival’s production of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” is a romantic comedy of mistaken identity and is family friendly.

“JITNEY” will play at 7 p.m. Thursdays-Sundays through Aug. 22; and “Twelfth Night” will play at 7 p.m. Thursdays-Sundays from Aug. 26 to Sept. 12 and Labor Day.

The popular, 33-year-old annual festival will be live on the outdoor stage at oneC1TY.

Both shows play an encore weekend at the Williamson County Performing Arts Center at Academy Park in Franklin from Sept. 16 to Sept. 19.

 

 

Nashville Shakespeare Festival Artistic Director Denice Hicks said the play nights at oneC1TY begin at 5:30 p.m. with free “INSIGHT,” scholarly discussions at Sump Coffee featuring guest experts on both Wilson and Shakespeare.

She said the nightly pre-show entertainment will take place in the outdoor oneC1TY space at 6 p.m., with local musicians, singer-songwriters, fire dancers and belly dancers lined up for various nights during the season.

The festival is free, and you can just show up. But Hicks said a $10 donation is “strongly encouraged” as a way to support this theater program. There is also reserved “Noble” seating available for $40. VIP Royal Packages, which include reserved parking, comfortable reserved seating and a catered dinner, are $100 each. Go to ticketsnashville.com to purchase.

Hicks said the average attendance per show in previous years has been 500 to 600 people. “Some nights there are 300 and some 900,” she said, adding that Thursday and Sunday nights are the least crowded.

She noted that the festival did not take place last summer because of COVID-19 and that the number of free Shakespeare festivals around the country continues to shrink.

“There are far fewer than there used to be,” she said. “So many didn’t survive 2020. We are so excited to be back up and running.”

The Kennie Playhouse Theatre is a company that has focused on producing the works of Black playwrights and hiring Black artists for the past 15 years. And Hicks said that with “JITNEY” this is the first time a Black playwright has been featured in the summer Shakespeare lineup.

This will be the second year that Summer Shakespeare will take place at oneC1TY after a 32-year run in Centennial Park.

OneC1TY is just off the 28th-31st Avenue connector and Charlotte Avenue in Nashville’s Midtown District. There is some bleacher seating and plenty of blanket and lawn chair space for playgoers. Dogs on a leash are welcome.

The location has plenty of free parking and is home to restaurants and bars including The Sandbar, Pastaria and Sump Coffee. Plus food trucks and adult beverages will be on hand on play nights.

More information is available at nashvilleshakes.org.

The Nashville Shakespeare Festival’s programs are funded in part by the Tennessee Arts Commission, Metro Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Mary Hance, who has four decades of journalism experience in the Nashville area, writes a weekly Ms. Cheap column. She also appears on Thursdays on “Talk of the Town” on NewsChannel 5. Reach her at mscheap@mainstreetmediatn.com and follow her on Facebook at Facebook.com/mscheap.

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