Shakespeare In The Parks

Our 53rd Season

Born from aspirations to bring the timeless tales of William Shakespeare directly to rural and under-served communities, Montana Shakespeare in the Parks has been enriching the lives of people in Montana, and beyond, for 53 seasons.

This summer, Montana Shakespeare in the Parks is pleased to announce that our summer parks tour performances of  Shakespeare’s Henry V and As You Like It will be coming to a community near you! The company performs in 64 communities across five states including Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, North Dakota, and Washington. Most events feature pre-show performances by local artists and audiences are encouraged to bring a picnic to enjoy an evening together under the Big Sky among friends and neighbors.

As You Like It speaks to the joy and complexity of love, identity, and the transformative power of nature. This romantic comedy follows the story of Rosalind, one of Shakespeare’s most complex female characters, as she ventures into the Forest of Arden alongside a colorful cast of characters to explore questions of love and transformation.

"I’m so delighted to bring AS YOU to MSIP! It’s a beautiful, funny, thought-provoking play about transformation and the desire to find oneself. It contains yearning and music and one-liners. I love the nature of Rosalind and Orlando’s love story and how they fall in love with each other over the very nature of love. I love the primal idea of going back to nature to find one’s deepest desires—I especially think the citizens of Montana and the mountain West will understand that impulse." - Eva Breneman, Director of As You Like It

Henry V, one of Shakespeare’s historical plays, explores leadership, honor, and the impact of decisions made in times of great uncertainty. A young man thrust into leadership of a nation torn apart by national destruction and discord, Henry grapples with the conflict between political expediency and his own moral compass, elevating themes of honor, justice and mercy.

"One of the play’s most famous quotes is 'We happy few, we band of brothers.' The play’s focus on patriotism and togetherness are themes that I am really excited to present to our communities to give this reminder of the importance of ensemble, brotherhood, and togetherness. The themes of loyalty, patriotism, and service are rooted in the Montana way of life.

It’s also important to highlight Henry as an individual. You're talking about a young man who has newly become the leader of a nation torn apart by internal civil wars. He inherits national destruction and discord that’s existed for a long time and must come in to take the helm in the face of all of this.

Henry constantly struggles with balancing what he learns is politically and diplomatically correct versus what he feels spiritually and morally. We experience his journey through his decision-making and how he as a leader grapples with what’s right and wrong and how that connects to justice and mercy. I feel that Shakespeare really works to elevate that for audiences to hear and it's that human component within this play that I want to bring out the most." - Kevin Asselin, Director of Henry V





MSIP is funded in part by coal severance taxes paid based upon coal mined in Montana and deposited in Montana’s cultural and aesthetic projects trust fund.