Lord, what fools these mortals be! – Nevada, USA

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” was the perfect play to be watching as we sat on the beach of Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada’s. As the sun began to set behind the pristine mountain lake the last bottles of wine were being emptied and the fairies, players and lovers of Shakespeare’s comedy came to life.

The Reno/Tahoe area is synonymous with gambling, and it may be our

livelihood, but the source of our pride is our embracing and appreciation of the arts which are alive and kicking during the summer months.

In Reno, the biggest event is our annual “Uptown, Downtown, Arttown”: a

month-long celebration of dance, poetry, music and other art. At Lake Tahoe, the piece de resistance is the Shakespeare Festival at Sand Harbor.

Each summer, for the month of August, two of the Bard’s plays are performed on the most popular beach on the blue mountain lake, just in time to appreciate the cool summer breezes and the sweet smell of the pine trees. This summer “Midsummer” was joined by “As You Like It”.

The regular patrons of the popular performances all have their own methods for getting the best spots on the beach. The early seaters get in line two hours before the 7:30pm showing of each performance. They bring their kids, relatives, coolers full of shrimp, prosciutto and wine as well as their blankets, sweaters and low-back chairs. After almost two hundred people cram to get in line with their multitude of creature comforts it can get a little crazy.

Many people are spouting lines from their favorite plays and some get carried away with too much wine and begin to argue about the significance of Yorick’s skull in “Hamlet”. Balladeers in period dress and tennis shoes walk along the path leading to the beach and sing both romantic and bawdy songs to the accompaniment of a lyre or flute.

When the beach is opened there is a mad dash to claim a perfect spot in the sand among the pines and right in front of the stage which is built to emphasize the outdoors. Around the audience area there are booths asking for donations to save Lake Tahoe, vendors serving barbecue, t-shirts with Shakespeare in various poses and a tent where you can rent “Ye Olde Beach Chairs” for about $5 for the night.

For the next hour the audience socializes, clink glasses and partake of the food they brought in their ice chests and picnic baskets. The performance begins as dessert and coffee are being passed around and sweaters are gratefully eased into as the moon chases the sun into the lake and the words of our beloved Bard echo through the midsummer night.

Cost of each performance is $20-$28 a person.

Performance starts at 7:30pm to 10:00pm with a fifteen minute intermission.

Bring a sweater, long pants, low back beach chairs, dinner and friends who are quiet and appreciate good stories, good wine and don’t mind getting sand in their shoes.

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