Support for LAist comes from
Audience-funded nonprofit news
Stay Connected
Audience-funded nonprofit news
Listen

Share This

Arts and Entertainment

How to watch a free outdoor Shakespeare play at Griffith Park this summer

Two actors Jacqueline Misaye (left) as Rosalind and Bukola Ogunmola and Celia, lay head to head on grass with flowers spread around the ground. Misaye wears a black suit and tie with a white button down shirt and Ogunmola wears a pastel floral summer dress. They both have a dreamy look in their eyes as they look to the sky
Jacqueline Misaye (left) as Rosalind and Bukola Ogunmola (right) as Celia in this year's Shakespeare in the Park production of 'As You Like It.'
(
Grettel Cortes
)

With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today during our fall member drive. 

The Independent Shakespeare Co. has returned to the old LA Zoo in Griffith Park for another summer season of free outdoor performances, this year with an immersive production of As You Like It.

A different kind of staging

The play is performed for the first time in the round and makes use of the abandoned zoo facilities at the location. The construction of a permanent performing arts space at the Old Zoo has left the Independent Shakespeare Co. without access to its usual temporary stage. And that spurred some innovations, said David Melville, co- founder of Independent Shakespeare Company and director of the production.

"We thought this time it would be interesting to explore the corners of the old zoo that we haven't used before. So there's the stage, but then there's also some pre-show things in the animal cages, and there's little stages around the performing area, and the audience will meet certain characters as they come to take their seats, it's vastly different from what we'd normally do," he said.

Support for LAist comes from

The innovative setting helps break the play's fourth wall — a facet that Shakespeare's works lend themselves to, said actress Jacqueline Misaye, who plays Rosalind.

"It's so fabulous to be able to perform outdoors, to be under the trees. It feels very magical. So when we're in the round... I'm going to be looking into the audience and looking for advice, asking an audience member, what do you think about this?" said Misaye.

The staging is also inspired the music of the jazz musician Al Bowlly and the dapper aesthetic of the 1930's.

When you can see it

Performances of As You Like It of are held Wednesday through Sunday until September 1st, 2024. The official show starts at 7:00PM but there's an immersive prologue starting at 6:00PM.

How to get free tickets

Reserve your spot for the date you wish to attend here.

Support for LAist comes from

You have to save your own spot to see the show. The areas closest to the stage are for picnic blankets but you can bring your own folding chair and sit just a little further back.

Plan your visit

The performances of As You Like It are held at the old Los Angeles Zoo in Griffith Park which you can access from Griffith Park Drive. There are picnic tables and free parking on site.

It's common for audience members to set up their own picnics to enjoy before or during the show.

At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.

But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.

We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.

Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.

Chip in now to fund your local journalism
A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right
(
LAist
)

Trending on LAist