Press Releases
“One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.” – William Shakespeare
Summary: Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, a historic home and cultural center in south Orange County, presents Shakespeare’s Scenes and Sonnets, a compilation of Shakespeare’s famous scenes and sonnets performed by the Southern California Shakespeare Festival Guild around Casa Romantica’s coastal property.
San Clemente, CA – Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, a nonprofit southern California cultural center, is pleased to announce a special two-night run of its Casa Theater commission: Shakespeare’s Scenes and Sonnets, a site-specific performance of William Shakespeare’s famous sonnets and scenes inspired by Casa Romantica’s diverse seaside gardens. The Southern California Shakespeare Festival Guild will perform the play on June 23 and 24, 2022 at Casa Romantica.
“Our gardens are beautiful on any day, but to pair them with some of Shakespeare’s most beloved scenes and sonnets breathes new life into his work,” says Casa Romantica Executive Director Amy Behrens. “By presenting Shakespeare’s poetry with the Southern California Shakespeare Festival Guild this way, we can engage the next generation.”
The Southern California Shakespeare Festival Guild returns to Casa Romantica after successful productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2018), Romeo & Juliet (2021), and The Tempest (2021). The Southern California Shakespeare Festival Guild has had a long-term partnership of bringing Shakespeare to Casa Romantica, first performing in June 2017 during the institution’s monthly D. Yoder Family Sundays programming.
“We are thrilled to return to Casa Romantica for Shakespeare’s Scenes and Sonnets. You will see some familiar faces who performed in The Tempest and Romeo and Juliet and some new company members as well. They will take you on a journey through the gardens with music, Sonnets, Scenes, and Monologues from classics such as Henry V, Much Ado About Nothing, Macbeth, and Twelfth Night,” says Shakespeare’s Scenes and Sonnets Director Sam Robinson. “The evening is a ‘Shakespeare’s greatest hits’ performance – drinks included!”
Setting this performance apart from other Shakespeare performances is Casa Romantica’s promenade, site-specific performance style that the cultural center is known for. Guests will be split into groups that will rotate through multiple performance spaces throughout the gardens while actors bring to life scenes and sonnets that reflect Casa Romantica’s fauna and flora in the gardens. To enhance the experience, guests will enjoy complimentary botanical drinks and cocktails inspired by Shakespeare’s works.
“Shakespeare’s sonnets light the world for the people of all ages and all times,” says Guild Artistic Director Linda Bisesti. “We look forward to celebrating this magic with the wonderful audience in the beautiful surroundings of Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens.”
Shakespeare’s Scenes and Sonnets is a part of Casa Romantica’s Connections programming initiative that launched in 2021 as part of the “Art in the Gardens” theme. Other events paired with this performance include world-renowned art duo CHIAOZZA’s larger-than-life botanically inspired installation in the gallery and around Casa Romantica, classes focusing on gardening, and art classes in the gardens.
If you go: Shakespeare’s Scenes and Sonnets happens on Thursday, June 23, and Friday, June 24, 2022. Doors for the show open at 6:30 PM; parking at Casa Romantica is free. Tickets are $55 for general admission and $45 for Casa Romantica members; seating is unreserved. The performance is promenade-style, including light walking around the different scenes at Casa Romantica. The route is ADA-compliant but some parts may need additional assistance from Casa Romantica staff. The ticket price includes multiple botanical drink and cocktail pairings for no extra charge.
To purchase tickets, go to CasaRomantica.org/Calendar, call (949) 498-2139, or visit the box office onsite.
About the Southern California Shakespeare Festival Guild (SCSFG)
The mission of the Southern California Shakespeare Festival Guild, SCSFG, is to establish a classical, professional repertory Theatre Company, dedicated to nurturing artists, student-artists and enriching the diverse community of Southern California. SCSFG endeavors to explore the eternal human questions seeking to enlighten and excite contemporary audiences with the timeless relevance of Shakespeare’s literature. They are committed to providing the community with a professional theatre company of multicultural actors and students that reaches a diverse audience.
About Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens
Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens maintains a robust series of year-round programs in arts, music, history, horticulture, and literature for all ages.
Casa Romantica has commissioned several critically-acclaimed works, including Open Casa: icy dip fresh petals by Petra Cortright (2022; visual art), Casa Classic: Opera Through the Seasons (2021; site-specific commission), Casa Kinetic: Tango Romantica (2021; dance), Open Casa: Who was Nellie Gail Moulton? (2020; visual art), Casa Coastal: Murals of Levi Ponce (2019; visual art), Casa Theater: The Odd-Essy (2019; theater), Casa Kinetic: Culture Shock LA Hip Hop (2019; dance); Casa Coastal: The Art of Baja California (2018; visual art), Casa Theater: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2018; theater), Casa Kinetic: Celebrating Tap Dance Legends (2018; dance), Casa Coastal: Rebecca Louise Law (2017; visual art), Casa Kinetic: Contemporary Dance Collective (2017; contemporary dance), and Open Casa: The Photographs of Douglas Kirkland (2015; visual art). The 2021-22 Casa Captivating season includes the brand new Connections thematic program series, an expanded Casa Jazz program, and expanded arts and wellness class series.
Casa Romantica also hosts a variety of free arts education programs for children year-round. The institution’s critically-acclaimed annual Summer Music Academies includes the Music Academy, Classical Music Workshop, and Summer Dance Academy, a Spring Break Arts Week, various art, literature, and horticulture events to grades K-12, and welcomes over 6,000 children from the Capistrano Unified School District each year for STEAM-based field trips that examine the history of San Clemente and the coastal environment.
Mission Statement: Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization and is the historic home of the founder of the City of San Clemente. Casa Romantica provides programs for all ages in arts, music, history, and horticulture and is a premier Southern California cultural center.
Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens is located at 415 Avenida Granada, San Clemente, CA 92672. Hours: Tuesday—Thursday 10 AM—4 PM; Friday—Sunday 10 AM — 2 PM; closed Mondays and holidays. General admission is $5; Casa Members, active duty military with ID, and children under age 13 visit for FREE. For more information, call (949) 498-2139 or visit CasaRomantica.org
