Upcoming Events at California Lutheran University
60 W. Olsen Road, Thousand Oaks
Kingsmen Shakespeare Festival
Fridays through Sundays, July 1–Aug. 7
Kingsmen Park
The 25th anniversary of the debut of one of the region’s most popular outdoor theatrical events features the Kingsmen Shakespeare Company performing William Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” and “Macbeth.”
Festival grounds open at 5:30 p.m. for picnicking and entertainment before “As You Like It” and “Macbeth.” The grounds open at 6:30 p.m. prior to “Puke & Snot.”
“As You Like It”
Fridays through Sundays at 8 p.m., July 1-3, July 8-10, July 15-17
One of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies, “As You Like It” delivers a wild romantic tale that plays with gender roles, politics and nature. Featuring one of the bard’s most iconic female characters and set in the magical Forest of Arden, the play is the perfect way to joyously return from our own exile to Shakespeare in Kingsmen Park.
Warren C. Bowles, who has decades of experience in Shakespearean and contemporary theater throughout the country, presents the play as the festival’s first Black director. He has spent many years working with Mixed Blood Theatre Company in Minneapolis as a director, actor, playwright, stage manager and fight choreographer. Mixed Blood uses theater to disrupt injustices, advance equity, build community and inspire people to create ripple effects of social change.
Rosalind, one of Shakespeare’s most iconic female characters, is played by Chloe Baldwin, a former festival apprentice who has appeared in regional productions and on film and television. Seta Wainiqolo, a Cal Lutheran alumnus and former festival intern and apprentice who studied at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale, is the nobleman Jacques.
Puke & Snot
Special Benefit Performance
Friday, July 22, at 7:30 p.m.
Patrons can pay what they wish for this family-friendly benefit show. Puke & Snot, the longest-running two-man comedy act in U.S. renaissance festival history, is performing at the Kingsmen Shakespeare Festival for the first time. Mark Sieve and Joe Kudla first performed under the name Mouldy & Wart at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival in 1974. Renamed Puke & Snot the following year, the duo went on to perform at festivals, comedy clubs, colleges and companies throughout the U.S. and Canada. Nearly 50 years later, Sieve is still anchoring the act as Puke while Scott Jorgensen is in his fifth year as the third incarnation of Snot. Puke & Snot have released five CDs, two DVDs and a book.
“Macbeth”
Fridays through Sundays at 8 p.m., July 23-24, July 29-31, Aug 5-7 (Note that a previously scheduled performance on Friday, July 22, has been canceled.)
Such are the legends and superstitions surrounding Shakespeare’s most infamous tragedy that theater folks the world over avoid speaking the name of the play and its fascinating protagonist. “Macbeth” (aka The Scottish Play, Mackers, the Bard’s Play, etc.) will bring together sweeping battles, sardonic wit, occult mysteries and sublime poetry in a masterful tale of ruthless ambition — brought to life under the stars for Kingsmen’s 25th season.
The Kingsmen Shakespeare Company is the professional theater company of Cal Lutheran. The nonprofit organization coordinates apprentice programs for professional and aspiring Shakespearean actors, an educational tour for local schools, and summer theater camps for youth.
General admission for “As You Like It” and “Macbeth” is $25 for adults, $20 for seniors 62 and over and active military, $15 for students 18 and over with ID, and free for those 17 and younger. Reserved lawn boxes are $90 to $110. A lawn box accommodates four to six, and only one ticket is required per box. Online ticketing is available for both lawn boxes and general admission.
Patrons can pay whatever they wish for the “Puke & Snot” benefit performance.
Parking is available in the lot off Mountclef Boulevard just south of Olsen Road. For information, visit kingsmenshakespeare.org or call 805-493-3452.
