July 16 - 26

Walkin’ with Will:

Sonnets, Trails, & Trees!

The sun is shining on our little mountain town, and Flagstaff is blooming with summer flowers. Participants will purchase a map of beautiful outdoor Flagstaff locations paired with Shakespeare monologues and sonnets referencing flowers, botanics, and other themes! Then, take a walk to enjoy Flagstaff in summer! While exploring, participants will read and listen to the curated sonnets and monologues (recorded by professional actors for their listening pleasure). When participants arrive at a location on the map, they can record a line from one of the monologues or poems onsite. If they record themselves at three locations, they will be eligible to win two day passes to Lowell Observatory and other prizes and discounts TBA. Not in Flagstaff? You can still play! Find three spots in your city that exemplify the spirit of Shakespeare in summer and make a recording to send us. Participants will enjoy summer flowers, the magic of Shakespeare, and get moving!
Spoon River Anthology

July 31 - August 21

Spoon River Anthology, a collection of poems written by Edgar Lee Masters, adapted for film by Dawn Tucker, paints the colorful picture of a fictional town along the Spoon River at the turn of the 20th Century. Told through the eyes of the town’s departed residents, the anthology gives us insight into the characters' lives, their deaths, and how they intertwine.

FlagShakes has added a local touch to the production. Filmed at Riordan Mansion State Historic Park, the film features ten Arizona actors (who each play several characters) and includes original music by Flagstaff musician Sean Golightly.

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Spoon River Anthology

July 31 - August 21

The production is being edited for digital release every Friday, July 31 - August 21, 2020 in four episodes:

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Tickets will be sold per household, and will include a link to stream each week as episodes are released.

Episode 1: A Glint of Glory

Episode 2: The People's Betrayal

Episode 3: Death Like Love

Episode 4: Ambitious Souls

A note from our executive director

Dear Friends,
First and foremost, our sincere wishes that you are safe and well at this time.

This is the Flagstaff Shakespeare Festival’s sixth season, and without you, there never even would have been a season two. Thank you for supporting us through rain and lightning, sun and snow, and now, what no amount of good humor or warm blankets can hold up to—a pandemic.

In addition, we are also cognizant of the recent events that lead to a breaking point in our society. We hear the pain from our fellow artists who have experienced racism on the micro and macro level, and we are working very hard to address the individual and systemic racism that is omnipresent in the theatre industry and how we at FlagShakes can do better.

The following are by no means part of a finite checklist, but rather part of an ongoing process in keeping us accountable by continuing to ensure that our company is more inclusive and provides a safe space for our employees and independent contractors.

In order to promote non-traditional casting and a more diverse production team, future casting calls and job notices will include language that specifically welcomes applicants from people of all backgrounds
As the festival grows to include productions aside from Shakespeare, our season selection will include diverse works
Our staff will be attending workshops and webinars specifically designed to address the racism in theatre and how to create and realize an anti-racist industry

As FlagShakes continues to encourage elevating empathy amongst our audiences, we must also do so within the industry and within our company.

We’ve been working, planning and re-planning, and waiting and watching for months. We are finally ready to let you know what to expect from FlagShakes for the rest of 2020.

In brief, we have moved Hamlet and Comedy of Errors to summer 2021 and replaced them with shows that have smaller casts and are easier to produce digitally if need be. We have cut She Stoops to Conquer and A Christmas Carol from this season.

You can find out more about the schedule, opening procedures, and safety protocol, along with information for current season- and single-ticket holders under the See A Show tab.

Until we see you again, we hope you are enjoying one of our many new virtual programs. You can learn to write poetry with me and the other Lamplight Poets, explore the world of production and design in Backstage with Becki, or direct actors of all levels interested in theatre to Hannah’s Acting Up! series. All of these video series programs are available here on FlagShakes.org under “Education,” on our YouTube channel, or on our Facebook page. Additionally, Shakespeare Allowed! has gone virtual and meets Sunday afternoons to read and discuss plays on ZOOM. Go to our Facebook for info on how to join!

We also have a play-watching group over on Facebook called Let’s Watch a Play, and other fun content on both Facebook and Instagram. If you stop by, please let us know. We miss you and would love to hear how you’re doing!

Warmly,
Dawn Tucker, Executive Director, Flagstaff Shakespeare Festival

A note from our executive director

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