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Shakespeare San Jose a Great Success

For some time now, I have wanted to see Shakespeare performed outdoors in San Jose. I have had the opportunity to see outdoor Shakespeare performances as far away as Ashland, Ore., and as close by as Los Gatos, Santa Cruz and Saratoga. In every instance, it was a great time. Each time I thought this type of event would be nice for San Jose, and I pictured a specific location. Willow Street’s Frank Bramhall Park in Willow Glen has an amphitheater that hosted events back in the1970’s, but it has gone largely unutilized in subsequent decades.

Two years ago, I approached the talented group Shady Shakespeare Theatre Company and asked staff to walk through Bramhall Park with me to see if they would consider performing at the venue. At first glance, it was viewed as less desirable, due to the fact that the grass was dead in the summer, and the amphitheater had electrical connections that no longer functioned and sub-optimal lighting. Despite these less than ideal circumstances, we agreed to keep in touch.

In order to improve the venue, the city of San Jose parks department worked to enhance the space by installing a sprinkler system that would allow for healthier grass in the summer. This improvement would not only benefit event-goers by providing a more comfortable “cushion” to enjoy performances, but it would also enhance the space for general everyday recreational activities, such as laying down to read a book or enjoying a picnic lunch. The following year, the electrical connection was repaired, and the amphitheater lighting system was vastly improved.

With these modifications, the need to rent lights and noisy generators that power them was eliminated, and the ability to enjoy a quiet and odor-free outdoor theater experience was born.  It is important to note that all of these improvements were made with capital parks funds that are dedicated to such endeavors.

Even with these improvements, there was an inherent risk that no one would show up. Outdoor, evening performances of Shakespeare had not been done before in San Jose, and the concern—shared both by the city of San Jose and the theater group—was that these improvements may have been done all for naught. But lo and behold, hear ye, hear ye, on opening night there was an audience of well over 400 patrons!

People of all ages and demographics, and nearly every breed of well-behaved dog, enjoyed picnics, sipped wine and shared their enthusiasm for Shady Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” against a backdrop of towering redwood trees in San Jose’s only natural grass amphitheater, all of which made for a picture perfect event. The number of attendees far exceeded our expectations, and the final tally of 4,000-plus people was more than twice the pre-performance estimate of around 2,000. With such a fantastic turnout, it is very likely that this event will become a tradition in San Jose, and our hope is that Shady Shakespeare will return to perform in this park for many years to come.

Successful endeavors are almost always characterized by careful and diligent coordination of many groups of people, and this event was no exception. A special thanks goes to the PRNS staff that worked to bring this cultural experience to San Jose. Appreciation is also due to the Public Works department for the infrastructural improvements that were made on the amphitheater. Financial contributions from the following sponsors allowed this series to be free to the public: The Office of Cultural Affairs gave $3,800 from a competitive art grant (funded by the hotel tax), and $5,000 came from semiconductor capital equipment maker Applied Materials.  Also, special thanks to the patrons themselves who were willing to donate during and after each performance.

And finally, a big THANK YOU to Shady Shakespeare for taking a chance on San Jose. All in all, the inaugural series of Shakespeare in Bramhall Park turned out to be a magnificent tale, indeed.

Posted in Arts | Comments closed

Explore and Enjoy Arts Locally

Arts and Culture are words used quite often to describe the vibrancy of cities; particularly big cities looking to attract business, tourists and new residents. City folk have enjoyed arts and culture entertainment for centuries, which has been funded both privately and publicly. It is not uncommon for people to travel out of state and even internationally for festivals that explore various unique arts and culture.

Residents of a particular region will usually travel closer to home to experience arts and culture. For example, people in the Bay Area drive over an hour to San Francisco (SF) to partake in the Arts. For many of those that seek out the Arts in SF, their first thought is not about the city’s crime rate or road conditions but rather about the entertainment. They will spend $20-$40 on gas, their time driving back and forth, $20-$30 to park, and in some places navigate the sidewalks through panhandlers, alcoholics, drug users, drug dealers, etc. to arrive at a venue to be entertained and escape from their daily lives.

I have traveled north many times to see unique art, one-of-a-kind venues and paid handsomely in time and money to experience it. However, I value art closer to home without all the obstacles and safety concerns. Last week, I was able to enjoy the world premiere play, “Death of a Novel.” What a fantastic show with a full house at our own San Jose Repertory Theater. Powerful monologues, witty banter and racy material all in our downtown.

A criticism of the classic Arts like theater and opera is that the audience is mostly geriatric. Well, if you ever have been on the fence about seeing a play, this is the one to see. For those under 50 who may have been turned off or simply not interested in theater, this is a show for you. The play ties in social media, deception, profanity, sex and a story that you are not sure how it will end.

In San Jose, we are very fortunate to live in a place where people have devoted years of their lives providing entertainment for the region bothDowntown and other locations, like the new Renegade Theater Experiment in the Rose Garden.

This week the Zero1 Biennial returns to Downtown displaying art and technology on a grand scale. The last Zero1 Biennial in 2010 attracted 47,000 visitors to Downtown, which resulted in a great crowd, full restaurants and hotel room nights. Zero1 is funded mostly by foundations and corporate sponsors, however, the city of San Jose has allocated $68,000 from the $13.1 million Hotel Tax fund. In past events, ZeroOne artists like the Rockwell Groupare famous for lighting up the City Hall with interactive art comprised of lights.

With all the madness and chaos cities face across the country with reduced revenues and reduced services, this does not stop the individual resident from pursuing their intellectual curiosities or experiencing sheer escapism through entertainment. As humans, we seek many different facets in life beyond shelter and food. One of which is connecting with others in the physical world and enjoying a common experience providing a cultural literacy that we can discuss and relate to one another. In a small farm town it may be a barn dance; in San Jose we have a substantial variety of arts and culture.

If you would like to volunteer at the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden then join me and the Friends of the San Jose Rose Garden this Saturday at 9am. This particular volunteer effort will be done in the memory of Ivan Kolte. Ivan was a 94-year-young San Josean who loved the Rose Garden and passed away recently, joining his deceased wife and high school sweetheart.

Also posted in Business, City Council, City Hall Diary, Culture | Comments closed
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