Shakespeare In The (Ludovici) Park

When the Village of Palmetto Bay wanted to add some high-quality theatrical events to its social calendar, they turned to Robin Barson and Jeannie Sensale, co-founders of Tandem Theatre Project.

In February, their troupe helped us sing-along to Grease at the drive-in movie. Next, they appeared at Palmetto Bay’s Celebration Picnic. Those short-form performances were just a teaser for their March 4-6 run at Ludovici Park Amphitheater performing Shakespeare in the Park.

“Our teens decided to take Much Ado About Nothing to a new place. They mixed Shakespeare culture with 80’s culture to make the play more accessible and fun for children and adults alike,” explained one of Tandem’s founders Robin Barson.

During the three-night arc, several hundred people came out under the stars and paid a $10 donation to see this unique take on Shakespeare. The event will help support the troupe going to London this summer to honor the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death.

This certainly wasn’t your father’s Shakespeare, but it was entertaining. The two-hour performance mixed Much Ado with themes from Xanadu, Miami Vice, Star Wars and other 80s classics.

Mayor Eugene Flinn remarked, “It is our midsummer night’s dream that this is the just beginning of many theater events in our humble Village.” To that end, the Village has already booked Tandem Theatre Project for April 29th at Thalatta Estate for a professional evening of theater.

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