June (and July and August also) will be "busting out all over" again with the sounds and sights of Shakespeare in the country.  Shakespeare at Winedale will be celebrating its 45th year and the 50th year of Miss Ima Hogg’s gift of Winedale to The University of Texas.

Leading the way in this celebration are performances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and As You Like It by actors in Camp Shakespeare.  Jim (Doc) Ayres selected these two comedies because they connect with the ambience of Winedale and with the students’ exploration of Shakespeare in Fayette County, a setting remote from their everyday living experience.

The first session of Camp Shakespeare students take the stage this June with performances of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.  The first performance will take place at the Crystal Theatre in Gonzales, Texas on June 18^th at 3:30pm; tickets are free.  Henkel Hall in Round Top, Texas will host the students’ second performance on June 19^th at 7:00pm and the third performance will take place at the Shakespeare at Winedale Theatre Barn at the Winedale Historical Complex in Round Top, Texas on June 20^th at 1:00pm.  General admission tickets for the Round Top and Winedale performances are $10 or free for children 12 and under.  Proceeds of ticket sales and gifts will be donated to the University for improving the cooling, lighting, and seating in the Theatre Barn. For reservations, write jayres@cvctx.com.

Just as the characters in the plays flee to the woods outside Athens and the forest of Arden, respectively, to find new experiences, the students of Camp Shakespeare find in their rural setting the freedom to play with the language, situations, and personae in the plays. And, according to Ayres and his senior associate, Robin Grace Thompson, the results are remarkable, for the student, for parents, and for the audience. 

Three actors are from Fayette County: Tory Borgstedte and Olivia Rodriguez from La Grange and Ricky Schilling from Fayetteville.

For more information, contact founder of Shakespeare at Winedale and director of Camp Shakespeare, Jim (Doc) Ayres at jayres@cvctx.com, or by calling (979) 249-7125.