Love Shakespeare? Local choices abound. Love Shakespeare? Local choices abound. (June 10, 2005)

Pleasanton performances feature home-town actors

The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival opens this season's free Shakespeare in the Park on Saturday, June 25 with "Much Ado About Nothing." The city-sponsored performances are at 7:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays through July 10 at Amador Valley Community Park, 4301 Black Avenue.

Amador Valley High School graduate Valerie Weak plays the role of Ursula and understudies for the part of Beatrice. Weak, whose parents still reside in Pleasanton, began her acting career at Pleasanton's own Children's Theater Workshop.

Much Ado About Nothing is generally considered one of Shakespeare's best comedies, but also has serious discourses on honor, courtship and social politics.

Festival-goers are encouraged to bring blankets, low lawn chairs and picnic suppers. Since 2000, more than 20,000 lovers of the Bard, their families and friends have done just that, while enjoying free Shakespeare under the stars.

As the city's free performances wrap up, Valley Shakespeare Festival's outdoor opening night performance of Shakespeare favorite, "As You Like It," will begin at 7 p.m. July 22 in the vineyards at Retzlaff Estate Winery, 1356 S. Livermore Avenue, Livermore. It will feature Pleasanton actors Bryant Hoex as Oliver and Jim Coughlin as Corin. Coughlin's wife owns Downtown Yoga on Division Street, where Jim teaches. Hoex teaches drama at Wells Middle School in Dublin.

The play's director and festival artistic director is Pleasanton resident Lisa Romovitch, who, along with Dublin couple Gabriel and Jenny Lynn Campbell, founded the company in 2002. Last year, the professional enterprise broke even financially for the first time, an event Jenny Lynn describes as "very exciting."

Jenny Lynn said the company does not think of itself as being in competition with the free performances the city offers local residents during Shakespeare in the Park. She said, "The more art the community is exposed to, the better it is for all of us."

Pleasanton high school students Anastasia Bendebury, Shuman Lin and Ruoji Tang are volunteers for the Valley Shakespeare Festival. Last week, the three appeared in costume to distribute show fliers at First Wednesday.

The company's 2005 season of the Valley Shakespeare Festival kicked off in April with "The Belle of Amherst" in Pleasanton and will conclude in December with "The Gifts of the Magi" in Dublin, as yet, no venue announced. Auditions for "The Gifts of the Magi" will be held in August and September, said Jenny Lynn, who is the festival's managing director.

"As you Like it," a comic love story, is currently in rehearsal. Ticket prices range from $20 for Preview to $50 opening night, which will be preceded by food tasting and a free glass of wine. Seniors and students qualify for a $5 discount. To buy tickets on-line, visit valleyshakes.org.

The show runs through August 13. For more information or to learn about opportunities to volunteer, contact Jenny Lynn at jennylynn@valleyshakes.org or (925) 556-9624.

For more on Pleasanton's free Shakespeare in the Park, call Pleasanton Civic Arts at (925) 931-5361.

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