Theatricum Botanicum’s signature production of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” will be transported from the company’s Topanga Canyon amphitheater to Santa Barbara’s Elings Park this summer for an outdoor performance, 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17.

Character Nick Bottom, whose head has been transformed into that of a donkey, makes a point with other actors in the play 'A Midsummer Night's Dream.' (Ian Flanders photo)
Theatricum Botanicum actors perform a scene from ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ coming to Santa Barbara Aug. 17. (Ian Flanders photo)

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will be performed outside under the stars and nestled amid the oaks in Elings Park’s Godric Grove amphitheater. The play features Theatricum’s cast and production team.

Elings Park previously has had outdoor stagings of Shakespeare, but none in the past decade.

“The production was created for Theatricum’s theater in the woods, and is a great fit for the park,” said Dean Noble, Elings Park’s executive director. “Godric Grove is already magical, with an oak tree growing though the stage. This is a perfect way to introduce your family to the world of Shakespeare.”

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is the first of two Shakespeare offerings at Godric Grove this summer. UCSB’s award-winning student company Naked Shakes stages two performances of “Much Ado About Nothing,” directed by Irwin Appel, Sept. 6 and Sept. 8.

The mischievous character Puck, wearing feathery costume and a wreath of twigs on his head, looks to be up to another of his tricks. (Ian Flanders photo)
The mischievous character Puck looks to be up to another of his tricks. (Ian Flanders photo)

“We are planting the seeds of Shakespeare in Elings Park,” said Noble. “Our hope is to bring the Bard back to the park every summer. Summer Shakespeare could become the next Santa Barbara tradition.”

Advance general admission tickets for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” are $20 for adults, $15 for teens and seniors, and free for children under 12.

Tickets available online at https://elingspark.ticketsauce.com/e/midsummer-nights-dream-at-elings-park. Tickets sold at the door as available are $23 for adults, $18 for teens and seniors. Free parking is available for ticketed guests.

For “A Midsummer’s Night Dream,” Godric Grove’s stage will be transformed into the enchanted forest of Athens, where an unseen fantasy world of fairies and sprites exists alongside – and often interferes with – the human one.

One of Shakespeare’s most beloved plays, it is a merry romp filled with comic confusions, mistaken identities, and unrequited love, all joyously reconciled.

The Theatricum Botanicum production is directed by Willow Geer, associate producing artistic director. Geer is the granddaughter of company founder Will Geer.

Blacklisted during the 1950s, the elder Geer later appeared as the beloved Grandpa in the TV show “The Waltons” from 1972 until his death in 1978. His daughter actor Ellen Geer is the company’s producing artistic director.

“I’ve had the privilege of being a part of this glorious play for decades,” said Willow Geer. “As I age, grow, and experience so many different types of love and relationships, I am in awe of the timelessness of Shakespeare and his unwavering ability to illuminate and explore the human heart so eloquently.”

Theatricum Botanicum, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023, has received multiple awards, including the Margaret Harford Award for “sustained excellence,” and Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle’s highest honor.

It was named “One of the 50 Coolest Places in Los Angeles” by Buzz magazine; “One of Southern California’s most beguiling theater experiences” by Sunset magazine; and “Best Theater in the Woods” by the LA Weekly.

For more, visit www.theatricum.com.

Shakespeare at Elings Park is supported by Carrie Towbes and John Lewis.