Shakespeare's Grand Tale of Heroic Adventure Comes to Pleasanton Park June 28, 2008

Pericles is the story of a young man, Prince Pericles, who is forced to flee for his life as a young man. He embarks on an epic journey that leads him from a tragic shipwreck to a joyful marriage and from the loss of his beloved daughter to a surprising reunion. Ultimately, good triumphs over evil. Jealousy and vice are punished and faithfulness and virtue are rewarded. Along the way, Pericles encounters many memorable characters, including clownish fishermen, dancing suitors and roguish pirates.
Pericles is directed by Kenneth Kelleher who is celebrating his sixth year with San Francisco Shakespeare Festival. His visual style and use of music and dance generated very positive reviews for A Midsummer Night's Dream in 2007 and The Tempest in 2006. This season, he sets Pericles in frontier America of the mid-1800s.

The cast of 11 actors portray numerous roles and play live music throughout the show, including folk, country and bluegrass tunes. Among the actors are Michael Craig Storm and Emily Jordan, who return to Free Shakespeare in the Park as Pericles and Thaisa. They portrayed the roles of Oberon and Titania, respectively, in last summer's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

"The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival is an exciting part of the cultural life in Pleasanton," says Civic Arts Manager Andy Jorgensen. "Every year, audiences of 800-1000 people attend each show. It's fun to see the proliferation of blankets and lawn chairs at Amador Valley Community Park in anticipation of each evening's performance.

"Over the past eight years, the Festival has become a Pleasanton institution in its own right. We're looking forward to working with them on Free Shakespeare in the Park and summer camps in the years to come."

Free of Charge.

Official Website: http://www.ci.pleasanton.ca.us/community/arts/arts-around-town.html