High Park Outdoor Amphitheatre

I went to watch the opening night of Julius Caesar as part of the Shakespeare in High Park program.
The amphitheatre is absolutely stunning. Despite being out in the open, the acoustics are quite good. What an experience– watching Shakespeare under the night sky, with balmy weather and chirping birds.
I really liked the modern rendition of Julius Caesar. It was witty, smart, full of depth, yet still true to Shakespeare’s script.
Make sure to bring some cushions if you did not buy a Premium ticket. Being outdoors, the downside is that you are sitting on the ground. It could be quite uncomfortable, especially for a 2 hour show.
Great cast, amazing interpretation and phenomenal setting.
Oh, and shout out to the woman who went on stage, stripped off her bra and yelled «I’m 50 and free».

This is quite simply put — magical. The stage and lighting is set up in the middle of a forest to cast a lively, romantic ambience. It actually gives me the impression of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
This is the perfect date spot or even for a group of friends. I definitely recommend this to those who love Shakespeare. Even if you aren’t reading sonnets in your spare time, it showcases wonderful talent and creativity. I was impressed with a scene in Titus Andronicus which used interpretative dance to tell part of the story.
Admission is by donation which you can deposit in the boxes at the gates. Due to this it can get quite packed. I suggest coming 30 minutes before the show to find seats if you’re not picky. Be prepared to come much earlier than that if you have a larger party or want to be seated closer to the front. It also tends to get much busier near the end of summer, so be weary of that.
You can bring your own food or buy snacks there. There are also picnic blankets or seats that you can rent for sitting on the grass.
Best of all, High Park is so beautiful you can enjoy it before or after the show. Be sure to venture out to the Botanical gardens and fountains as they are quite exquisite that time of year.

I love live theatre and this is a great venue. There is something special about being able to enjoy theatre outdoors. The quality of production and acting has always been high and I look forward to going every summer. It isn’t going to match something you would see at Stratford but it is impressive non-​the-​less.
Bring something comfortable to sit on, food and a clear sense of where the theatre is. It isn’t the easiest place to find.

wonderful evening in the park! if you don’t buy tickets in advance, be sure to show up about an hour and a half before the show in order to get good seats.

I do love Shakespeare in he park in the summertime. It’s one of those quintessential cultural Toronto events, that’s not to miss — everyone needs to go at least once. We need to have more of these things in the city, that’s for sure.
Some tips when you do go:
— doors open at 6pm. Get there a little before 6pm (5:30−5:50pm) to nab a spot in line. A lot of folks don’t seem to grasp this, and majority of folks show up after 6pm.
— they will come and open that gate to let you in, and pay your donation
— about 20% of the seats filled up by 6pm
— about 80% of the seats filled up by 6:30pm
— small groups may be able to fit in later
— at the back you can bring chairs to sit on rather than the cold hard concrete
— you can also pre book seats for $ 25 which will be reserved for you and you don’t have to show up until showtime, but they are in the front two rows and I actually prefer sitting higher up
Bring with you:
— picnic lunch or take out for dinner as you wait for 2 hours
— good company or a good book
— alcohol — i thought this wasn’t allowed, but I saw folks with bottles out in the open and staff turning a possible blind eye
— yoga mat to sit on
— warm blanket and sweater — once the sun goes down it gets chilly
They are really strict about cell phone use during the performance. To take photos, video or even check email. We actually pulled up the final soliloquy on the iphone and deliberately make it black background, so that we can follow along, but was told to put it away. Really? only 2 mins left to the play.
Love coming here in the summer and look forward to it!

Shakespeare in the Park is a semi-​hidden near-​gem. Here are a few helpful pointers for the uninitiated.
1. Shows run in the summer until the end of August. They are at 8 pm each night, but are off on Monday night. This season Macbeth is WFSUN, while Taming of the Shrew is TThSat.
2. The location is not the easiest to find. If you enter the park at Bloor and High Park you will pass tennis courts, then a food kiosk on your left. At the four way stop (about a km from the park entrance) the entrance to the amphitheatre is on your right. There will be some people in bright neon coloured shirts standing at the dirt path that leads to the amphitheatre.
3. The cost is a suggested 20 $, but is pay what you can. I imagine that anything under 10 $ would be heavily frowned upon!
4. Nice warm evenings (where you can wear shorts and a t shirt) are sort of rare, even in summer. On such evenings and weekends, you should arrive at least 15 – 20 minutes early to get a seat. Otherwise, you will be standing. The amphitheatre doesn’t have formalized seats with numbers, so in some places people take up more room than they need with bags and picnic baskets (these are the same people who put their stuff in empty seats on the subway while everyone is standing). To overcome this, arrive early!
5. The acting is done by students from York University. I saw Macbeth this year. The performances each season tend to be good, but will have actors who overact or flub lines here and there, while others are brilliant. The witches in Macbeth were fantastic this season.
6. Bring your own picnic or snacks, but try to be done munching and rattling paper before the performance starts.
7. Before you bring your young kids, remember that Shakespeare has violence in the tragedies and some sexual suggestive humour here and there in the comedies. (I wound up by a family that was constantly groaning and trying to cover their son’s eyes every time their was a stabbing in Macbeth. It was kind of funny, but also a bit annoying.)
8. Again, on a nice evening it is worth finding Shakespeare in the Park.

I need to preface this review with the fact that I have an extensive theatre background and am basing this review on the promotion, execution, quality and organization of the Shakespeare in the Park production of Taming of the Shrew 2013.
I’m am an out of towner and found out about the show by accident. I was combing through the free magazine at our Toronto Hotel. When I went online to find out more, it was nearly impossible to find out salient information about the upcoming performances, like where the outdoor theatre was located in High Park, when the «house» opened up and what accommodations were made for special needs patrons.
We wandered around High Park for an hour, the signage in the park was practically non-​existance. We waited over an hour for the «house» to open up and than were unable to sit where we pleased. Many «seats» were reserved for Family, Friends and Media.
But all of this would have been acceptable for the most part if the production had been good. I have to say that I have seen High Schools put on better productions.
From concept to execution this play was terrible. I am being very fair. The theatrical department at York College is responsible for this program. I would applaud them for their effort, bringing live theatre to High Park but they patted themselves on the back for about 30 minutes before the performance.
I wish them the best in the future endeavors, but I won’t be recommending this to anyone who is visiting Toronto.

When I first moved to Toronto, I’d never even heard of «Shakespeare in the Park». I’d not thought that it would be at all conducive to the art of theatre. Having performed on stage as a stand-​up, I know that outdoor distractions do not make for a good night of comedy at all. By extension, I assumed that the same would be said about theatre. So, I was looking forward to «Shakespeare in the Park» as much as I would «Beckett on a Bus»: or «Noël Coward in a Handicapped Public Bathroom Stall».
I was mistaken.
Operated by CanStage (
), with the proper direction, the park becomes integral to the story, the set becoming more than a setting but integral to the performance. If you get the chance to see «A Midsummer Nights Dream» at this venue, you’ll see exactly how good outdoor theatre can be. The sound and lighting are all gauged perfectly for the sold out crowds that attend, calibrated for shows that begin right at dusk. Also note that because you’re outside, and because the stage can get slippery, and the sound and lighting equipment can electrocute when wet, performances can be called on account of rain.
Another thing to be aware of is the fact that the hill does tend to sell out. You’d do well to bring a picnic dinner, get their early, and find a place on a tier. In the old days, there was no terracing on the hill facing the stage, so it was easy to find yourself ever so gradually rolling down the hill so that the entire audience ended up in a pile in front of the stage. The terracing work on the hill takes away from that now. Even though performances are Pay-​What-​You-​Can, the recommended donation of $ 20 is worth every penny.