Shakespeare plays come to NW Montana

Montana Shakespeare in the Parks heads to Northwest Montana this month as part of its 2012 tour through Montana, northern Wyoming, eastern Idaho, western North Dakota and eastern Washington.

The troupe will perform “Twelfth Night” and “Hamlet” in the Tobacco and Flathead valleys.

The company, now in its 40th season, is slated to perform 76 times this summer. The troupe features 10 professional actors selected through national auditions. They tour without technical assistance to bring live theater to primarily rural communities.

"This summer, the anticipated audience of more than 30,000 people will be treated to two wonderful performances that cover the broad perspective of Shakespeare’s genius as a playwright," Joel Jahnke, Montana Shakespeare in the Parks’ artistic director and a professor of theater at Montana State University, said in a news release.

Jahnke directs "Hamlet," which he said is almost universally hailed as the greatest play ever written in the English language. William Brown, associate artistic director, directs "Twelfth Night," Shakespeare’s comedy of wild infatuation and mistaken identities.

The troupe will perform “Twelfth Night” Aug. 19 in the Libby Middle School amphitheater. If the weather doesn’t permit an outdoor performance, the show will be staged in the middle school gym.

The company will stage “Hamlet” at the Historic Village in Eureka, or in the Lincoln County High School gym if the weather is poor, Aug. 20.

The troupe moves to Kalispell Aug. 21, where it will perform “Hamlet” outside at Flathead Valley Community College. If it rains, the show will move to the college’s black box theater.

All performances start at 6 p.m. and are free. Audiences are encouraged to show up prior to the appointed curtain time with chairs, blankets, a picnic supper and friends and family to enjoy the evening.

For more information on the plays, visit www.shakespeareintheparks.org.