More Summertime Shakespeare: LA Bicycle Ride to Othello
Thanks to support from REI, CICLE LA Urban Expeditions offers regular family friendly rides in LA to events.
Next up is a Shakespeare Ride Sunday, July 18th, 2010 meeting at 4:00 pm at the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round parking lot just inside the Los Feliz/Riverside entrance to Griffith Park. And it’s all free, free, free, free!
The ride begins at 4:30pm and meanders through Los Feliz to the Shakespeare Bridge to arrive just before 7:00 pm at the Old Zoo in Griffith Park in time to watch the acclaimed Independent Shakespeare Co.’s production of Othello at their new summer stage. Free
What to Bring: A bicycle, in good running order. (Please have bike inspected and tuned at least once a year at a bike shop.) All participants under 18 must wear a helmet and be escorted by a parent or guardian. Children under age 8 should be on a tag-a-long, bike trailer, tandem, or other safe child-carrying device to participate in the ride. It will get cool so bring some warm cover and please make sure any period costumes will not get caught in bikes!
As mentioned above, C.I.C.L.E.’s Urban Expeditions program is made possible with support from REI. Visit www.CICLE.org or call 323.478.0060 for more information.
Of course you don’t have to ride your bike there and Othello plays on other days throughout the month of July: Thursday – Sunday, July 8 – August 1 at 7:00 p.m. Independent Shakespeare Co. Festival Stage
Griffith Park Old Zoo near 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, 90027 (next to the Merry-Go-Round and the Wilson Harding Golf Course) Much Ado About Nothing opens August 5. While events are free, donations are gratefully accepted.
A great LA day to me this summer sounds like a day at the nearby Autry Museum with a play in the evening!
Summertime is Shakespeare time as festivals and performances sprout in parks and on outdoor stages across the country and around the world.
Watching one of Shakespeare’s plays under the stars or in the shade of a tree, listening to birds or crickets and frogs, relaxing with a picnic and a bottle of wine, is one of my favorite ways to celebrate summer. I’ve enjoyed Shakespeare outdoors at Ashland Oregon, in Colorado, and more recently, in California in Thousand Oaks at CLU, in Ojai at Libbey Bowl, at Grand Performances in downtown LA, and more.
This weekend and next, catch CLU’s 14th Annual Kingsmen Shakespeare Festival lighthearted, family-friendly staging of one of Shakespeare’s shorter plays, “The Comedy of Errors.” Presented in the style of commedia dell’arte, the fast-paced show is full of physical comedy sure to produce belly laughs. According to the Kingsmen,
“The Comedy of Errors” is a tale of mistaken identity involving two sets of identical twins separated at birth. Egeon, the father of one of the sets of twins, is condemned to death but is given a day to raise the ransom required to save him from execution. Laurie Walters, who played daughter Joanie Bradford on the television show “Eight is Enough,” portrays the Abbess, who helps bring about a resolution in the end.
Upcoming performances will be held at 8 p.m. Sunday July 11, 16, 17 and 18. The following weekend, “The Winter’s Tale” opens and will run Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from July 23 through Aug. 8 in scenic Kingsmen Park. They say,
“The Winter’s Tale” is a dream-like story that explores the themes of jealousy, love, honor and rebirth. Convinced that his pregnant wife has been unfaithful to him with his childhood friend, King Leontes of Sicilia orders that his friend be killed and his wife imprisoned. Time brings reflection and repentance. The story is tragic and comic, solemn and irreverent.
The festival grounds open at 5:30 p.m. for picnicking and for pre-show entertainment featuring Renaissance music, comic Shakespearean improvisations and wandering performers.
Tickets are $15 and free for those under 18. Parking is available at the corner of Mountclef Boulevard and Olsen Road. For more information and details about the plays, visit http://www.kingsmenshakespeare.org or call (805) 493-3455.
I’ll be posting about about more opportunities to experience Shakespeare and other theater performances this summer as often as possible!
I am so pleased that the new poet laureate of the United States is one of my favorite poets, the winner of two Pulitzer Prizes and a National Book Award, W.S. Merwin, who follows Kay Ryan as the nation’s 17th laureate and will be paid $35,000. He’s a brilliant choice and a brilliant poet who will do a great job bringing poetry to the populace.
Merwin, 82, attended Princeton University where he studied with poet John Berryman. In 1976, he moved to Hawaii in 1976 to study Zen Buddhism. One of the reasons I love his writing is because it is full of spirituality and nature; this is also why I am looking forward to his programming as poet laureate.
And since I’ve written about Merwin a few times on this blog, and posted some of his poems and youtubes of him reading, I am going to simply post two links for you to enjoy.
Tomorrow morning, bright and early, we’ll walk up our street to Main in midtown and join the throngs of families for this year’s Push’em Pull’em Parade. Park at the San Jon Road City Maintenance yard and join us!
Our son has been in this human scale, human propelled parade since he was eight months old so this will be his 7th trip down Main.
When I asked him if he wanted to be in it this year, he said “Of course!”
Sponsored by the Ventura East Rotary Club, participants meet at 10am near Cemetary Park. We start rolling down the hill about 10:30am. The theme of this year’s Street Fair and Push’em Pull’em Parade is “Old Fashioned 4th of July” and we have two Uncle Sam hats to wear and a huge red white and blue pinwheel to carry. We’ll figure out the rest soon–and whether the small boy will ride his scooter or his bikergo!
And of course we’ll have some flyers to tell people about our ArtRides!
For folks who live out on the east end of town, there’s a free shuttle service from the Ventura County Government Center that runs from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. The last shuttle leaves the Street Fair at 5 p.m.
Main Street, Downtown Ventura
July 4, 2010 | 10 am – 5 pm
Free to the Public
This popular annual event attracts up to 50,000 people to Downtown Ventura.
- Over 250 fine artist, crafters, nonprofit organizations, and food booths.
- Three stages of continuous live entertainment including a favorite band of ours, Rooster Ra which performs at 3pm by the Food Court.
Here’s the full 4th of July Street Fair Entertainment Lineup and other info: Read more…
Ventucky Vice ArtRide: ET Phone Home & other props
What’s an ArtRide without creative expressions of the theme as well as props?
Well, certainly not as fun!
Here’s a few props we enjoyed on last night’s First Friday ArtRide, Ventucky Vice.A full report on the ArtRide and photos too to follow soon…
First we have “ET Phone Home” with one of the original cell phone..
Then we have some great guns which show we’re ready to rumble and take down the crime lords of our fair Ventucky…
There’s the palm tree on the back of my bikergo which plays two songs and lights up…
And speaking of lights, if you’re going to go speeding through town chasing after bad guys on your bicycle, you’d better be well lit!
Thanks everybody for playing along!
Thanks to Art City for hosting the afterparty!
And thanks to Anacapa for eight growlers and a variety of beer inside!
PS More photos up over at bikergo gal. And more photos to come!
Looking to get in on the Ventucky Vice ArtRide tonight?
530pm Meet at the Artists Union Gallery 330 S. California St.
6pm Ride along the promenade and the river trail to Main
Stops will include Bell Arts Factory 432 N. Ventura Avenue to see new work by Claudia Pardo McFayden like the beautiful painting pictured and to Love Fox Vintage Clothes on Main in the El Jardin Courtyard to see cyclist Winston Braun’s art and cyclist Benicia’s new shop!
Join us on the route or at the afterparty at Art City 197 Dubbers St just off Olive near Vons. Art City is celebrating a long slow struggle to become code compliant and independence from city restrictions to keep visitors like us out.
We’ll have a fire and beer donated by Anacapa; bring a mug and money to donate to offset construction costs for Art City to become code compliant. Bring food too!
Get Ready for Some Ventucky Vice: ArtRide July 2
The San Buenaventura ArtRiders 
Bicycle & Social Club
Invites You To
Ventucky Vice
First Friday ArtRide
July 2, 2010
Celebrate Art City’s Independence!
530pm Meet California St. & Ventura Beach
6pm Ride to Art Galleries & Studios
After party At Art City: beer, food, music!
Special Thanks to Anacapa Brewery!
*Bring your mug & money*
Ride every First Friday * Ride at your own risk*
Aug.6: Western Nights & Carnival Lights
More Info: http://bikergogal.wordpress.com
Email contact artriders@earthlink.net
via The Write Alley
What can be said about a salmon pink authentic 70s Members Only jacket? Except WOW!
Lots of “wow” fashions were seen at Boogie Nights as we rode around town and then at the WAV for the Disco Ball, complete with a disco ball attatched to a bike with bike headlights directed to it to make the room all sparkley as we danced away and enjoyed beer donated by Anacapa.
Thanks to everyone who came out on the ride or who joined us for the afterparty at WAV! See you June 4 for this month’s rendition of the First Friday ArtRide “Get Lei’d”!
And now it’s time to figure out the flyer for next month’s ArtRide, Ventucky Vice so we’ll have them to share…
Oh and if you’re wondering why we ride, here you go:
These free short rides are for fun and family oriented, and each month we choose a theme: Feb.09 Red Hot Pajama Party, March 09 Main St Electric Parade, April 09 Bunny Hop, May 09 Prom Ride, June Santacon Ride, July 09 Freedom from Fossil Fuels Ride, Aug 09 Animal Fair Ride, Sept 09 Full/Fool Moon Ride, Oct 09 Mustache Ride, Nov 09 Super Heroes Ride, Dec 09 Santas Ride…etc
We don’t have a permit for these rides because we rely on our right to peacefully assemble. When we ride we become traffic and abide by the laws of traffic.
If you choose to join us for a ride we ask that you follow three simple rules: Have fun, respect our com
munity, and obey all traffic laws.
We charge everyone on the ride to help encourage others to abide by these rules. Be nice to the people stuck in their cars missing out on the fun because:
We’re out to generate goodwill for cyclists and cycling, and to have a great time! Smiles and waves are so much more joyous than getting and giving grief!
Whether you dust off your old cruiser or bring out your pricey pride and joy, we ride because we like to get people
on their bikes and to have fun. It’s even more fun if you dress up with us, but that’s not a requirement.
If you’d like to join us on our next social on wheels, bring your bike to the Ventura Beach Promenade by the Artists Union Gallery 330 California Street. We meet up at 5:30pm and ride by 6pm. We ride until about 7:30 or 8pm when we often gather for food and more merriment.
Rides are free (but we’ll take donations to cover copy costs!). Ride at your own risk.
art predator 