If your town has one of the few outdoor Shakespeare festivals in the country, you have theatergoer rights. The Vortex Theater (vortexabq.org) is hosting its festival August 5-September 3 at New Mexico Veterans Memorial Park (1100 Louisiana Blvd. SE). Catch this year King Lear (Director: Debi Kierst) and As you Like It (Director: Julia Thudium) on alternate evenings. The environment is nice and cool, you can bring a pre-show picnic (non-alcoholic) and it’s free.
Before presenting The Bard, The Vortex brings you some magical realism at their venue on Carlisle References to Salvador Dalí make me hot by Jose Rivera (Marisol, cloud tectonics), directed by Miguel Martinez, from June 3rd to 19th.
The Adobe Theater The crew knows what their audience wants and delivers it Unnecessary farce (June 10 – July 3); The Sweet Delilah Swim Club (July 22 – August 14) and The women of Lockerbie (September 2nd to 25th). This year they are running AdobeFest (Sunday, July 17, 6 p.m.) At KUNM radio theater (89.9 FM or KUNM.org), consisting of five short plays that won the Theater Original Work Competition (adobetheater.org).
Actor Studio 66 describes itself as “socially relevant theater” and brings Keely and you by Jane Martin (Speak with) into the mix of opinions and feelings about abortion. Pregnant Keely was kidnapped by an extremist group and held against her will to prevent her from having an abortion. You are her jailer. Heated conversations ensue. Actors Studio 66 plays at Black Cat Cultural Center, 3011 Monte Vista Blvd.; this production is running June 23 – July 17 (actorstudio66.org).
FUSION Theater Company‘s The Seven: New Works Festival The top winners will receive full productions 16-19 June; The second seven runners-up will have a scenic reading 20th June. The winner of the Bradford Gromelski Jury is We jump brooms by Mildred Inez Lewis of Inglewood, CA. I always choose a personal favorite just by its title beforehand. I’m going with you this year box of teeth (Tori King Rice, Lakeside, California).
The festival opens performances on the main stage in FUSION’s new space called 708. While you’re there, visit them quantum garden Honoring FUSION participants and fans who have died (FUSIONabq.org)
fun home is a musical based on a graphic novel by Alison Bechdel (Dikes to watch out for). Imagine living at your family’s funeral home through adolescence, trying to find yourself while grappling with your father’s identity issues. Music Theater Southwest adopts this surprisingly funny story opening July 29th to August 14th (mtsabq.org).
Although we don’t generally cover Santa Fe, I do wrap up theater scenes with her yearbook Shakespeare in the garden of the Santa Fe Botanical Gardens Ojos y Manos: Eyes and Hands amphitheater. This year it is The Comedy of Mistakes out of July 28 – August 14 from Classic Theater of Santa Fe (santafeclassictheater.org; 505.466.1358). You can picnic in the orchard, but not in the amphitheater (no alcohol, no pets), so get there early (gates open at 5:15). Seeing Shakespeare in the open air is truly an annual summer experience to look forward to and a wonderful time to introduce newcomers and children to Will and his charms.
Other summer performances (check venues for more summer events later in the season):
Every Saturday night the show at The Box Performance Space
June 2-11, N4th Theatre, New Works (N4NW), northfourthnm.org
5 June 2022 June Music Festival (80th Anniversary), American String Quartet and Nancy Allen, harp, at First Presbyterian Church, Chamber Music Albuquerque
11-18 June, Festival Flamenco Alburquerque, various venues
June 12, 2022 June Music Festival (80th Anniversary), Jaime Laredo, Sharon Robinson and Friends at Simms Center for the Performing Arts, Albuquerque Academy, Chamber Music Albuquerque
18-19 June, NM Juneteenth Celebration, Civic Plaza
24-25 June, NM Gay Men’s Chorus naked manAlbuquerque Journal Theater, National Hispanic Cultural Center and June 26, Lensic Performing Arts Center, Santa Fe
July 1 – August 27, Santa Fe Opera: Carmen, The Barber of Seville, Falstaff, Tristan and Isolde, M. Butterfly (world premiere)
September 8-18, Elite Dance & Theater, The jungle Bookelitedancetheatre.com
September 15-25, ABQ Funny Fiesta, North Fourth Arts Center, abqfunnyfiesta.com
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