Shakespeare in Clark Park celebrates 10 years with ‘Winter’s Tale’

It’s hard to believe, but it’s been ten years since Philadelphians first began trooping to the “bowl” of West Philly’s Clark Park for outdoor Shakespeare productions. Each year, the free shows there, running in the evening for a few midsummer days, draw audiences that total into the thousands. If you’re meeting friends there before the show, make sure they have their phones on — otherwise, you may never spot them in the picnicking masses.

This year, local actor/director Kittson O’Neill, whose recent credits include helming shows at InterAct and Hedgerow, directs The Winter’s Tale. The professional cast includes Kevin Bergen (Leontes), Bi Jean Ngo (Hermione), and an ensemble of other local notables. According to the theater group, Philly puppetry master Aaron Cromie is lending a hand for the hirsute pursuit of Shakespeare’s most notorious stage direction.

Last year’s production of Henry IV included a stirring, booming, smoky battle scene featuring a chorus of 100 people. This year, O’Neill incorporates a “Chorus of Children” into the action, deepening the Clark Park tradition of involving the community in the shows.

“It’s a tale of generations and how consequences are often felt most strongly by the next generation,” O’Neill says of bringing the youngsters onstage. The Chorus and the audience “are a witness to the triumph and failures of the adults, just like children are in a family.”

Shakespeare in Clark Park presents A Winter’s Tale July 29 through August 2, near the intersection of Chester Avenue and 43rd Street in West Philadelphia. All performances are free and begin at 7pm, but stake out your blankets and chairs early. The rain location for shows is the Mandell Theater of Drexel University, at 33rd and Chestnut Streets. For more information, visit online.