Shakespeare in Elings Park, with UC Santa Barbara’s Naked Shakes

One of the pleasures of summer nights in urban centers is “Shakespeare in the Park.” While Santa Barbara seems like the perfect venue for “Garden Bard” productions, there is no dedicated company providing consistent summer Shakes. This September 6 and 8, however, Elings Park has teamed up with UCSB’s Naked Shakes for a promising alliance that could become Santa Barbara tradition.

Naked Shakes is a Shakespeare-focused theater program run by Irwin Appel that puts stylistic emphasis on the actors and the text, leaving most theatrical design elements minimal and up to the imagination of the audience. For instance, the upcoming production of Much Ado About Nothing, performed at the Godric Grove amphitheater, will exist within the natural scenery of Elings Park. The cast of 26 includes students from the professional-track BFA acting program as well as non-theater majors interested in learning something new.

“Much Ado has two of the greatest lovers ever written in literature,” says Appel. “Beatrice and Benedick. It’s a story of two people who vow that they will never get together…. It has some of the greatest comic moments that Shakespeare ever wrote.” 

The show is choreographed by Christina McCarthy, so expect a production full of passionate characters who love to dance and argue, and who aren’t concerned with censoring themselves. Much Ado About Nothing also features a live jazz quintet of student and community musicians.

“I remember when I saw this show for the first time at 19 years old — I was completely transported,” says Appel. “I try to hold onto that feeling when I direct these shows, to infuse that feeling into them.” 

To purchase tickets in advance for the show at Elings Park, go to bit.ly/3T6IEmq. Tickets for the Godric Grove shows will be sold at the door if not sold out ahead of time. Show dates are: UCSB: September 3-5; Elings: September 6 & 8; BACK at UCSB: October 11-13.