{"id":89478,"date":"2026-07-23T10:56:30","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T17:56:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/?p=89478"},"modified":"2026-07-23T11:05:19","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T18:05:19","slug":"shakespeare-bixby-park-long-beach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/eat-see-do-2\/see\/shakespeare-bixby-park-long-beach","title":{"rendered":"See (nearly) all of Shakespeare for free in Bixby Park on July 31"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome to Theater News, a regular column by longtime reviewer Anita W. Harris. Look for it most Thursdays. Or\u00a0sign up<\/a>\u00a0for our Eat. See. Do. newsletter to get it in your inbox.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a fun and free theatrical event this summer, look no further than Bixby Park on July 31 for an outdoor production of \u201cThe Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)\u201d \u2014 a rapid-fire rendition of nearly all of Shakespeare\u2019s plays performed in less than two hours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Four performers from the Long Beach Shakespeare Company race through the Bard\u2019s comedies, tragedies and histories in an \u201cirreverent whirlwind of physical comedy, rapid character changes, theatrical surprises and playful audience interaction,\u201d the company says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Written by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield, the performance has familiar stories colliding, famous speeches taking unexpected turns and centuries of theatrical tradition condensed before the audience\u2019s eyes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFrom star-crossed lovers and ambitious kings to mistaken identities, bloody battles, supernatural encounters and one particularly complicated Danish prince,\u201d the company says, \u201cthe production offers an energetic introduction for Shakespeare newcomers and an affectionate comic celebration for longtime admirers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
A promotional poster for Long Beach Shakespeare Company’s “The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged).”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0Recommended for ages 10 and up, the show is directed by Heather McLane with Jen Gerould, and features Eduardo Mora, Kennedi Rose, Marie Santogrossi and Long Beach Shakespeare Company artistic director Holly Leveque.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The performance is a partnership with the city\u2019s Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine\u2019s LB Performing Arts Collective, launched in February<\/a> to help expand arts and culture programming in city parks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The show also allows Long Beach Shakespeare Company to return to its roots: performing Shakespeare in parks in the 1990s as \u201cThe Bard In The Yard.\u201d They went on to establish themselves in what is now the Helen Borgers Theatre in Bixby Knolls in the early 2000s. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leveque told the Long Beach Post that the second show she ever did with the theater was a \u201cShakespeare in the Park\u201d show performed in parks around Long Beach. She\u2019s been wanting to take the company back outdoors since she became the theater\u2019s artistic director in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She said she\u2019s grateful to realize her goal in collaborating with Melanie Curtis Andrews and Sherlyn Beatty of the LB Performing Arts Collective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have made the impossible possible, giving the opportunity to bring quality theater to the public free of charge,\u201d she said. \u201cMy dream became a reality only with their help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The park setting allows audiences to experience Shakespeare\u2019s work in an informal, live environment, the company says. It encourages audiences to bring blankets, lawn chairs and picnics for an evening of outdoor theater comedy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I was 11, I saw this show and it blew me away,\u201d Leveque said. \u201cI was completely hooked. I hope that our show in Bixby Park can catch the attention of some other kids out there and make them Shakespeare buffs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)\u201d will perform for free on Friday, July 31 at 6:30 p.m. in Bixby Park, 130 Cherry Ave. Recommended for ages 10 and up.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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