MERCED– Just in time for Earth Day and William Shakespeare’s birthday, Shakespeare in Yosemite is putting the final touches on its production of “Romeo and Juliet.” The new adaptation features several current and former UC Merced students, park rangers, Yosemite National Park employees, and community members.
Shakespeare in Yosemite 2022
The 90-minute performance is full of live pop music and has been adapted to address issues relevant to Earth Day and Yosemite, including the importance of native species to ecosystems and caring for natural spaces. And this time, Romeo and Juliet won’t die.
“People love the story of ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ but our version ends in hope,” said English Professor Katie Brokaw, producer, and director of this production and co-founder of Shakespeare in Yosemite. “There’s a long tradition to give the lovers a happy ending in adaptations, and we are continuing that by sharing powerful messages of reconciliation and hope, which are even more important during a time of great division in our country and world.”
The shows are free and open to everyone; no tickets are required. Four presentations are taking place in Yosemite and one at UC Merced:
Thursday, April 20, 2023
6 p.m.
Wallace-Dutra Amphitheater, UC Merced
(Free parking in Bellevue Lot)
Friday, April 21, 2023
5 p.m.
Curry Village Amphitheater, Yosemite
Saturday, April 22, 2023
Noon and 5 p.m.
Curry Village Amphitheater, Yosemite
Sunday, April 23, 2023
Noon
Curry Village Amphitheater, Yosemite
In case of inclement weather, Yosemite shows will be performed in the Yosemite Theatre, behind the Valley Visitor’s Center in Yosemite Village.
As a bonus event, the UC Merced Department of Literatures, Languages, and Cultures invites the campus community and general public to a performance of “Shakespeare and the Alchemy of Gender” on Sunday, April 16, 2023, at 6 p.m. in the Dr. Lakireddy Auditorium (COB1 102).
The one-woman, one-hour show is written and performed by Lisa Wolpe, one of her generation’s most esteemed Shakespearean actors and directors. Admission and parking are free.
For more information about Shakespeare in Yosemite and its productions, visit yosemiteshakes.ucmerced.edu or follow @yosemiteshakes on Instagram.
