Jacquelyn Ritz says she was at Lake Poway a few years back and thought it would be “a great place for Shakespeare” because his works were often performed outdoors.
Unbeknownst to her, fellow Poway resident Julia Giolzetti was wishing for a way to create a theatrical experience, especially one that could benefit elementary-age children in the community.
The two women with professional theater backgrounds didn’t know about their similar dreams until Giolzetti posted on social media that she wanted to create a professional classical theater experience in Poway, but wasn’t sure how to do it.
Ritz, who had founded a 501c3 nonprofit organization a short time before, saw the post and reached out to Giolzetti, saying she could help.
“I let my dream go to the wayside for almost one year, but Jackie was the catalyst and instrumental. She can get anything done,” Giolzetti said.
After about 15 months of hard work, Poway Shakespeare, a professional theater company, is making its debut this week with performances in Old Poway Park as part of the 14th annual San Diego International Fringe Festival. The festival started on Tuesday and runs through May 24 in venues throughout San Diego County.
“Bards with Blades” with the tag line “I went to see Shakespeare and a Fight Broke Out” is the first in what the company’s founders say they hope will be growing opportunities for the theater company in Poway.
It is also the first time a Poway venue has been included in the San Diego International Fringe Festival, Giolzetti said.
“We hope this brings in those who do not come out to Poway, we hope they will stick around and visit the restaurants,” Giolzetti said. “It is a beautiful backdrop for something that will be fun and creative.”
The Fringe Festival is a way for the arts community to attract new audiences and give independent artists and experimental work an opportunity to be presented to the public, organizers said. The festivals are held around the world to give artists a way to showcase their work without being constrained by censorship, judgment or the status quo.
Following a free preview performance for the Poway community on Wednesday night (tickets were required), “Bards with Blades” can be seen at the BoxCar Lot in Old Poway Park at 7:30 p.m. May 14-16 and May 21-23. The park is at 14134 Midland Road. Tickets are required to attend.
There will be folding chairs provided in the outdoor space, but Ritz advises people to bring lawn or beach chairs for more comfortable seating, along with blankets to stay warm during the hour-long show that will be presented on the wood platform and steps next to the boxcar.
Tickets to each Poway performance are $13 in addition to the $7 Fringe tag required as the pass to “11 Days of Eyeball-Busting Shows,” according to the San Diego Fringe website. The tickets and tag can be purchased at sdfringe.org.
“Our goal is to create something lasting,” said Ritz, who is Poway Shakespeare’s artistic director. “A place where families return every summer, where artists thrive and where Poway can take pride in its own professional Shakespeare company.”
Rehearing a scene from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” were Caroline Daugherty as Hermia, Sean Sullivan as Demetrius, Chiara Mangiamele as Helena and Alex Gilbert as Lysander. (Jacquelyn Ritz)
“Bards with Blades” will feature fight scenes from five plays — “Romeo and Juliet” directed by Eddy Lukovik, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” directed by Heather LaForge, “Henry V” directed by Jacquelyn Ritz, “Taming of the Shrew” by Julia Giolzetti and “Much Ado About Nothing” directed by Justin Lang. The fight choreographer is Lance Arthur Smith and assistant fight choreographer is Isabelle Pizzurro.
Some scenes have a traditional setting, while others are highly stylized and concept driven, Ritz said. For example, in “Taming of the Shrew” knives will be thrown instead of swords used. The average length of the scenes is around 10 minutes each.
The performance is for ages 8 through adult, according to the theater company.
The actors are Christopher Badillo, Beverly Balderrama, Nicolas Castillo, Hope-Elizabeth Dagdagan, Caroline Daugherty, Angelica Dulen, Alex Gilbert, Mark Holley, Chiara Mangiamele, Adam Parker, Jenna Pekny, Michael Rodriguez, Larissa Ryan, Sean Sullivan, Liliana Talwatte, Joseph Vitti and Kimmy Weinberger.
Poway Shakespeare held auditions for the debut in February. All involved will be receiving pay, according to Ritz.
“Our goal … is to have union and non-union actors who have been seen on stages around town,” Ritz said.
The actors’ professional experiences vary, with the two youngest being Rancho Bernardo High sophomores Caroline Daughtery and Alex Gilbert, playing Hermia and Lysander respectively, in the “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” scene, Ritz said. The rest of the actors live throughout San Diego County.
Giolzetti said this is just the beginning of what they hope will be a long association with the City of Poway. The company’s website lists “The Immersive Tempest,” a version of Shakespeare’s work that she has conceived, slated for September, along with free workshops for ages 16 and older planned for later this year. Giolzetti said educational opportunities for children to expose them to Shakespeare are among long-term goals.
The cast of the “Henry V” scene that will be in “Bards with Blades.” (Jacquelyn Ritz)
Ritz moved to Poway 16 years ago. She has been a director, producer, board member, acting teacher and actor in film and theater for many years, both in San Diego and regional venues throughout the country. Among the directors she has worked with are Harold Prince and Rachel Chavkin.
She has directed several shows at Scripps Ranch Theatre and acted in shows at Lamb’s Players, Theatre at the Welk, the La Jolla Playhouse and North Coast Rep. Her regional work included at the Kennedy Center, Milwaukee Repertory and Colorado Shakespeare Festival. Ritz is a member of Actors’ Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA, according to her bio.
Giolzetti, Poway Shakespeare’s community engagement director, has lived in Poway for 10 years. She is also an actor and teaching artist who has worked in San Diego and New York City. Her career focus has been on Shakespeare, including two years in the Off-Broadway company of Drunk Shakespeare. Giolzetti also created Sofa Shakespeare, a global online performance project on YouTube, according to her bio.
Presenting Shakespeare outdoors, especially in a venue such as Old Poway Park, is historically accurate. And it’s the reason Sarah Becker, recreation area manager for the City of Poway, said the city welcomed giving Poway Shakespeare an opportunity to perform in the park.
Becker said Roger Mohling designed the park in the late 1980s, purposefully creating it to reflect a small town in the late 19th century. At that time “theater was a big part of the culture, so he envisioned a theater in the park and was thinking of the boxcar area.”
“Shakespeare was pretty common for theatrical performances, with people going into parks and doing pop-up short snippets,” Becker said. “So we were excited to know (Poway Shakespeare) had that exactly in mind, since that is the time period the park represents.”
Old Poway Park is the venue for other community groups’ events that are associated with the Old Poway Park Action Committee, such as San Diego Folk Heritage concerts, the Poway-Midland Railroad, Poway Historical and Memorial Society’s Poway Heritage Museum, Poway Valley Garden Club’s flower show and Old Poway Pottery. So Poway Shakespeare fits with them, she said.
“The ladies have been fabulous and I’ve enjoyed working with them,” Becker said. “We are excited and … think the public will enjoy it.”
To learn more about Poway Shakespeare, visit PowayShakes.org, email PowayShakes@gmail.com or call 312-213-8118.