For Immediate Release: 7/12/2016 8:17 am
Worcester, MA (July 11, 2016) - The Worcester Common Oval will come to life this week with a series of special events from July 13, 2016 to July 16, 2016 in an array of different arts and cultural activities throughout the week.
Shakespeare in the Common
Kicking off the week long festivities with theater and as a part of their 10th anniversary season are two free previews of "As You Like It" by the Worcester Shakespeare Company. The two free previews will be presented in the Worcester Common Oval on July 13th and 14th at 7:00 PM. Both shows will be free and open to the public. The community is suggested to bring their own seating to enjoy this production live. The "As You Like it" production by Worcester Shakespeare Company is brought to the community free of charge by the City of Worcester and the Worcester Cultural Coalition.
Anne Elezabeth Pluto, of Roslindale, MA said that she is thrilled to direct "As You Like It" for the Worcester Shakespeare Company's 10th anniversary season. "To be doing it in a professional setting is a dream," said Pluto, who directed the play before with the Oxford Street Players, a Shakespearean theatre company she co-founded in 1993. The Oxford Street Players is run out of Lesley University in Cambridge, MA where Pluto is a professor of literature, theatre and creative writing. "As You Like It" will be her Worcester Shakespeare Company directorial debut.
Synopsis:
"As You Like It" is a rollicking romantic comedy with one foot in the court and the other in The Forest of Arden. Duchess Fredrica has usurped her sister. Orlando's brother has set him up to die in a wrestling match. But when Rosalind flees from her aunt's court with her cousin in tow, things really get mixed up. Dressed as a man, she instructs Orlando on how to win her heart, while also encountering the old Duchess and her court in the forest. Justice, forgiveness and love are sure to follow. Why then, can one desire too much of a good thing?
Yoga in the Park
Events will continue throughout the week with a holistic approach to keeping the community healthy and active through mindfulness and yoga. Yoga in the Park, which began earlier this summer, will continue on the Worcester Common Oval on Wednesday, July 13th from noon - 1:00 PM, and Saturday July 16th from 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM. Participants are asked to bring their own yoga mat/towel and wear comfortable clothing. Yoga in the Park is scheduled to continue through the end of July and is brought to the public free of charge by Ivy Child International and their volunteer instructors.
Out To Lunch Summer Concert Series and Famers Market
The Out To Lunch Summer Concert Series continues on The Worcester Common Oval. Out to Lunch is going to swing high and low with the main stage act Erin Harpe and the Delta Swingers on Thursday, July 14, 2016 from 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM. Main Stage music will begin at noon with an intermission act from the YMCA of Central MA. Erin Harpe & the Delta Swingers were recently named Boston Music Award Blues Act of the Year award winners, and have been perfecting their "Charles River Delta Blues" style, a fusion of country, Americana, soul, even reggae, and making quite a splash on the blues scene. A Delta Swingers show provides non-stop dancing, and audiences go wild for their mix of upbeat originals as well as classics that range from Memphis Minnie to Bessie Smith to early Bonnie Raitt. Featuring the intricate finger-picking guitar style of chanteuse Erin Harpe, the band evokes a southern juke joint where the whiskey and gin are flowing and everybody's dancing to that undeniable rootsy blues beat. Enjoy the whip blues, let's swing!
Civil War Monument Rededication Ceremony
Mayor Joseph M. Petty, City Manager Edward M. Augustus, Jr. and the City of Worcester's Veterans' Services Division cordially invite the community to the Worcester Common Oval for the Civil War Rededication Ceremony, which will conclude the week of events taking place within the Oval on Saturday, July 16, 2016. A short procession will begin at 11:30 AM, Mechanics Hall located at 321 Main Street, following up to the Dedication Ceremony taking place at 12:00 PM at the Soldiers and Sailors Civil War Monument in the Worcester Common Oval.
