Live theatre is gradually coming back to Southern California. One summer outdoor tradition is back with some modifications. Let’s preview the Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum Summer 2021 season that launched this weekend.

There are three shows that make up this year’s season. Two classic plays are paired with the world premiere of a new work.

Mark Lewis, Michael McFall, Max Lawrence and Gerald C. Rivers in “Julius Caesar” (Photo by Ian Flanders/Courtesy Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum)

William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar started on Saturday and will run through October 30th. Ellen Geer and Willow Geer co-direct this production which is seen from the point-of-view of the Soothsayer (Gerald C. Rivers).

The company includes Willow Geer (Portia); Christopher W. Jones (Brutus); Mark Lewis (Julius Caesar); Melora Marshall (Cassius) and Michael McFall as Marc Anthony.

Melora Marshall and Thad Geer in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (Photo by Ian Flander/Courtesy Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum)

Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream opened on Sunday and will run through November 7th. Amongst the unique features of this production is that Ellen Geer has written original music that has been paired with some of Shakespeare’s text to be sung during the production. There is additional music by Marshall McDaniel.

Melora Marshall, who plays Titania, directs a company that includes Ethan Haslam (Demetrius); Julia Lisa (Hermia); Joey Major (Lysander); Sara Mountjoy-Pepka (Helena); Terrence Wayne Jr. (Puck) and Lisa Wolpe (Oberon).

Each of these two productions will be new productions that condense each play into 80 minute performance times with no intermission.

Playwright John Guerra (Photo by Rebecca Aranda/Courtesy Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum)

Having its world premiere will be The Last, Best Small Town written by John Guerra who used Thornton Wilder’s Our Town as the inspiration for his play. Performances begin July 31st and continue through November 7th.

The Last, Best Small Town is set in Fillmore and depicts the lives of two neighboring families. It’s a study of contrasts: one family is living the American dream while the other is struggling to make that dream a reality.

Christopher Wallinger and Christine Breihan portray Hank and Willow Miller. They have one daughter, Maya (Jordan Tyler Kessler). Richard Azurdia and Jeanette Godoy play Benny and Della Gonzalez. Their son, Elliot (Kelvin Morales), is succeeding in ways that the Gonzalez’s have always dreamed of. But Benny’s alcoholic father (Miguel Pérez) is complicating things for the family.

What will Maya and Elliot be able to do in a world where it is possible theirs will be the first generation to do less-well than their parents?

Ellen Geer directs.

Tickets for Julius Caesar can be purchased here. Tickets for A Midsummer Night’s Dream can be purchased here. Tickets for The Last, Best Small Town can be purchased here.

Photo: Gerald C. Rivers, Mark Lewis, Frac Ross and Christopher W. Jones in Julius Caesar (Photo by Ian Flanders/Courtesy Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum)

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