Friday morning's tornadoes ripped through Tallahassee's Cascades Park, forcing the Southern Shakespeare Company to move the planned weekend festival. But the next morning, a small army of community helpers quickly moved the show to a new venue.
Southern Shakespeare Festival Communications Director Kelby Siddons had this reaction to Friday's tornadoes.
"This wasn't 'The Tempest' that we were planning on this weekend."
Although The Bardlings, the company's troupe of young actors, did get to stage their version of "The Tempest" Sunday afternoon at Westminster Oaks. That's where the storm-tossed production, featuring evening offerings of "The Winter's Tale" comedy, wound up Saturday and Sunday.
"We're so thankful Westminter Oaks came through as our heroes for a bare boned but still beautiful production," said Southern Shakespeare Executive Director Bianca Montague. She added there were only a few undamaged fragments of the Cascades Park set that could be salvaged. But the show went on and Westminster Oaks' Maguire Center was standing room only for this year's unique version of the Southern Shakespeare Festival.
