LMU’s Shakespeare on the Bluff Summer Festival Presents “The Winter’s Tale” and “Measure for Measure”
June 12 @ 8:00 pm - July 12 @ 11:00 pm
Shakespeare on the Bluff returns to Loyola Marymount University this summer with free performances of the plot-shifting, tragicomedy “The Winter’s Tale,” and the Bard’s engaging dark comedy, “Measure for Measure.”
Both shows will take place on the Drollinger Family Stage in Lawton Plaza on LMU’s Westchester campus, where guests can bring low lawn chairs and picnics to enjoy live theatre beneath the stars. “The Winter’s Tale” runs from June 12-14, and “Measure for Measure” is July 10-12.
“Shakespeare spoke truth to power with his plays, and we do the same. These plays are not old, or ‘safe.’ The comedies remind us of how foolish we can be in our everyday lives and relationships; the tragedies serve to remind us of what happens when we are not guided by the better angels of our nature,” said Kevin Wetmore, professor of theatre arts and the artistic director of Shakespeare on the Bluff.
“This year’s eighth season of Shakespeare on the Bluff reinforces the importance of the arts in addressing and illuminating issues of culture. In a time when the funding for the arts on both the national and local level is being cancelled and curtailed, our beloved, free Shakespeare on the Bluff is more vulnerable than ever. We depend on voluntary community financial support to keep this event free to a general and diverse public,” added LMU College of Communication and Fine Arts Dean Bryant Keith Alexander.
This year, production has been made possible thanks to presenting sponsors Channing Lindsay ’96, the Brannan Family, and the Walsh Family.
All shows begin at 8 p.m. and are 90 minutes long. The doors open at 6 p.m. Registration is encouraged, but not required.
Shakespeare on the Bluff is presented by LMU College of Communication and Fine Arts and the Theatre Arts Program.
Performances
“The Winter’s Tale,” directed by Lauren Johansen
June 12-14, 2025, at 8 p.m.
In this powerful tale of jealousy, hope, and redemption, King Leontes of Sicilia wrongly accuses his wife, Queen Hermione, of infidelity, setting in motion a sweeping chain of events that affect not only his prosperous kingdom, but also the distant, pastoral land of Bohemia. Years later, through a series of chance encounters, surprising twists, and a little magic, secrets are overturned and the truth is revealed, celebrating the enduring power of true love.
“Measure for Measure,” directed by Stacey Cabaj
July 10-12, 2025, 8 p.m.
The Duke of Vienna allows Angelo to rule in his stead, and a novice named Isabel must plead for her brother’s life. This is considered one of Shakespeare’s “problem plays” which asks: What happens to the body politic when a permissive government is replaced by a punitive one? What makes a just society? Does one follow the leader? The church? The letter of the law? Can these forces harmonize together? Set in the not-too-distant future, “Measure for Measure” is a play for our times.