OPS Fest Presents: The Winter's Tale
*The event has already taken place on this date: Fri, 06/30/2023
Please help us keep this calendar up to date! If this activity is sold out, canceled, or otherwise needs alteration, email mindy@kidsoutandabout.com so we can update it immediately. If you have a question about the activity itself, please contact the organization administrator listed below.
OPS Fest is Back for a 15th Season!
ORIGINAL PRACTICE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL (OPS Fest) is back in the parks for a 15th season!
Come celebrate a decade and a half of free Shakespeare, wild audience interaction, and onstage
moments that are too good to be rehearsed with OPS Fest’s company of dynamic actors out in
the Portland Metro area’s beautiful parks.
OPS Fest’s summer season kicks off on Thursday, June 22 at 9:00pm with the audience favorite
Midsummer Midsommer at the top of Mt. Tabor. They then jump directly into performances of
all 27 of the Shakespeare plays in their lineup each weekend throughout the summer. **If the
COVID-19 pandemic causes public gatherings to halt temporarily, OPS Fest will perform the
scheduled show(s) online. Check in at https://opsfest.org to keep current!
About Midsummer Midsommer:
On Thursday, June 22nd, OPS Fest starts their 15th season off right with the fan favorite, A
Midsommer Nights Dreame at the summit of Mt. Tabor. The actors have no idea what
character they will play until the AUDIENCE CASTS THE SHOW one hour prior to curtain! This is
OPS Fest at its liveliest and most chaotic—there’s no better way to begin the season! Folks will
delight in arriving early to the show to cast the play on-site at 8PM and watch their creation
take shape at 9PM. This performance will NOT be suitable for children. Picnics are welcome.
About OPS Fest’s Repertory:
OPS Fest performs all 27 plays in its repertory over the summer at 11 different parks in the
Portland Metro area. The OPS Fest company of skilled, flexible actors will perform with
occasional interruptions of songs, dances, and sketches throughout. Shows begin at 7pm and
the audience is welcome to arrive during the hour before to watch the pregame dance & fight
rehearsals. Children, picnics, and leashed pups are always welcome!
About the 2023 Season:
OPS Fest is proud to bring admission-free Shakespeare to the Portland Public Parks for their
15th season! Henry VI Part 1 and Cymbeline are the new plays on this year’s roster. The season
ends on the last weekend in August with the Gentlethem’s Show (featuring OPS’s nonbinary
actors!) of The Tempest, the extremely popular Gentlewomen’s Show (sisters are doing it for
themselves!) of Antony and Cleopatra, and the Gentlemen’s Show (all fellas!) of Macbeth.
About Original Practice Shakespeare Festival:
OPS Fest brings no-cost Shakespeare to parks all over the Portland Metro area. The company
uses the original practice techniques of Elizabethan England: limited rehearsal, scrolls in hand,
audience interaction, and an onstage prompter. Gender fluid casting is our jam!
Learn more at opsfest.org, opsfest.org/tour-calendar, and https://Facebook.com/opsfest.
*Times, dates, and prices of any activity posted to our calendars are subject to change. Please be sure to click through directly to the organization’s website to verify.