Shakespeare coming to Te Puke’s Litt Park Theatre

Owen Force is bringing a taste of the Bard to Te Puke in June.

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

Owen Force sits in the sun and contemplates the vast works of William Shakespeare.

Bringing a taste of the Bard’s work is a desire that is seeing its fruition at the Te Puke Repertory, Litt Park Theatre in June.

A love of literature, particularly the plays of Shakespeare, has always been a part of Owen’s life since his introduction to them in high school. He continued to perform them through university and later for professional theatre companies in America.

Owen is the director of this offering and plans to bring short extracts from Shakespeare’s work to local audiences. A narrator will bring short explanations to the wide variety of theatrical bites, making the performances understandable and relatable for everyone.

“This will be a production that should appeal to both novices as well as true lovers of Shakespeare,” he says. “My intent is to create a show that is accessible to an audience of any age or background. It is for those who don’t know much about Shakespeare but are willing to dip their toes into the water and see if they like it.”

For the actors, there will be a lot of resources and encouragement available as they delve into Shakespeare’s language and characters. To this end, actors are being sought to audition for a variety of roles suitable for all ages. Auditions will be held on February 18 at 2pm at the Litt Park Theatre.

Please contact owenforce@live.com or text 029 778 8080 for an information pack.

By Michelle Cliff, society chairwoman