Gaslight Theatre Celebrates 30th Anniversary of State’s Longest-Running Free Shakespeare in the Park

Gaslight Theatre Celebrates 30th Anniversary of State’s Longest-Running Free Shakespeare in the Park

PRESS RELEASE
 September 8, 2023
 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
  
Gaslight Theatre Celebrates 30th Anniversary of State’s Longest-Running Free Shakespeare in the Park
 
Enid’s Gaslight Shakespeare in the Park celebrates its 30th season this month as it presents Hamlet at 8 p.m. Sept. 15, 16, and 17 at Government Springs Park 600 E Owen K Garriott Road in Enid.
 
The event is Oklahoma’s longest running free Shakespeare in Park and is sponsored this year by Park Avenue Thrift and Security National Bank. Audiences are encouraged to bring picnic blankets, camp chairs, coolers, and snacks and enjoy a night of free entertainment under the stars.
 
The milestone anniversary has received recognition from both the State of Oklahoma and the City of Enid.
 
“Oklahoma State Representative Chad Caldwell was instrumental in securing citations from the State of Oklahoma and the Office of the Governor to celebrate our 30th anniversary,” said Gaslight Theatre Board of Directors President Frank Baker. “We can’t thank him enough for his support of Gaslight and the arts in Enid.”
 
Special festivities are planned for audiences and alumni of the event, which began in 1994.
 
Cast and crew members of previous Shakespeare in the Park productions are encouraged to join the alumni Facebook group and to share their memories via video. Links to the alumni group can be found on the Gaslight Theatre website at www.gaslighttheatre.org/hamlet2023
 
“My dream is to get in contact with all these folks and get together at Hamlet performances for reunion photos,” said Mary McDonald, a member of Gaslight Theatre Board of Directors. “We also have some special projects for our alumni through the rest of the season.”
 
For the audiences, a limited quantity of 30th anniversary programs will be available with information on the history of Shakespeare in the Park. Special VIP picnic suites are also available for purchase. These include charcuterie by Bite Box Enid, priority seating, and other treats.
 
Finally, a limited edition 30th anniversary Shakespeare in the Park t-shirt will also be available for purchase on the Gaslight’s website. For complete details on VIP suites and t-shirts, please visit the Gaslight Theatre website at www.gaslighttheatre.org/hamlet2023.
 
In 1994, several members of the Gaslight Theatre Board of Directors (Dave Abbott, Carmen Ball, Catherine Johnston, and Mary McDonald) realized Gaslight had the talent capable of presenting successful Shakespeare productions equal to those they had seen elsewhere.
They chose the Government Springs Park hillside as an ideal location. Through a partnership with the City of Enid, Friends of Government Springs and local financial sponsors, the first play was presented free as a gift to the public.
 
The set was simple. Actors performed in front of sheets speaking into microphones on stands. Still, that first production of Much Ado About Nothing drew audiences of more than 1,200 people.
 
The attendance impressed the City of Enid so much that it added a performance pavilion in 1996 for theatrical use. The pavilion is still the site for Shakespeare in the Park today as well as weddings, concerts, and other events.
 
Gaslight’s Shakespeare in the Park has produced a wide variety of Shakespeare’s plays, from highly recognizable titles like Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Macbeth to the more obscure Titus Andronicus.
 
“Gaslight’s Shakespeare productions are unique experiences for our actors,” said McDonald, also a former English literature instructor at Enid High School. “Our actors form a company. Not only do they perform roles in the plays, but these same people also put up the set and sound system and change the scenes. It’s not uncommon to find the leads (King Lear or Hamlet) setting the lights or striking the flats.”
 
McDonald said she believes this company involvement has become a training ground for young actors who learn how to treat all theater roles with equal respect. Many of Gaslight’s former young Shakespeare actors now work in a variety of theatre and media across the state and the country.
 
This year’s production, Hamlet, is among Shakespeare’s most produced and recognizable plays.
 
“‘To be, or not to be,’ the image of a hand holding a skull and all that,” said director Bailey Wilson.
 
Set in Denmark, Hamlet follows the story of Prince Hamlet who is struggling with the death of his father and the remarriage of his mother. Wilson chose to go with traditional Shakespearean costumes and set design.
 
“I wanted this production to capture what most audiences would think of when they hear the word ‘Shakespeare,’ as well as give a few nods to the more modern adaptations,” Wilson said. “My cast and crew have put in the work to bring these ‘words, words, words’ to life in a way that I hope feels at once new and yet familiar.”
 
About Gaslight Theatre:
The Gaslight Theatre of Enid was founded in 1966 and is one of Oklahoma’s oldest, most active community theatres. Its mission is to provide a wide spectrum of high-quality theatrical entertainment to a broad audience in Enid and the surrounding communities, and to provide a setting for nonprofessional actors, directors, designers and technicians to learn and practice their art. Audition and ticket information is available on the Gaslight Theatre website, www.gaslighttheatre.org.
 
The Oklahoma Arts Council is the official state agency for the support and development of the arts. The agency’s mission is to lead in the advancement of Oklahoma’s thriving arts industry. The Oklahoma Arts Council provides hundreds of grants to organizations in communities statewide each year, organizes professional development opportunities for the state’s arts and cultural sector, and manages the art collections at the Oklahoma State Capitol. Additional information is available at arts.ok.gov.
 
Gaslight Theatre Contact
Lendl Detweiler
Gaslight Box Office Manager
580-234-2307
office@gaslighttheatre.org