The McMaster Summer Drama Festival opens for it's 11th
season today with a performance of William Shakespeare's As You Like It on the open-air stage in Faculty Hollow.

The student-run festival, which integrates student actors from many Faculties, as well as the surrounding community, offers up free entertainment and culture for a few brief weeks in June.

The 2002 season of the McMaster Summer Drama Festival includes:

• As You Like It, Shakespeare's blithe comedy about the corruption of the court and the chaos it causes when two young noblewomen and their fool flee to the pastoral Forest of Arden
• The Student scripted Commedia Crew, developed as an original Commedia dell'Arte scenario into an improvised performance, complete with the raucous physical comedy and masks that characterize Commedia
• High Tea and Poetry readings of different plays and poetry related to the Ffestival's theme, The Summer of Love.

As You Like It stars Sara Burdulis as Rosalind, Brian Hood
as Orlando, Jordan Hall as Celia, and Steff Bishop as Jaques. Dave
Barclay and Matt T. Sheahan take on the roles of the merchant Pantalone, and his dim-witted servant Arrlechino respectively, in Commedia Crew.

This week's High Tea and Poetry will be Christopher Marlowe's Hero and Leander as read by Meaghan Stovel and Carm Iachelli.

Performance Schedule

Thursday, June 13

As You Like It by William Shakespeare, directed by Rachel Baker
University Club Hollow, 7 p.m.

Friday, June 14

Commedia Crew, Original Commedia del'Arte, facilitated by Krista MacIsaac Chester New Hall Courtyard, 7 p.m.

Saturday, June 15

As You Like It University Club Hollow, 2 p.m.

Poetry and High Tea featuring tea, cookies and readings of famous plays and poetry, University Club Hollow, 4 p.m.

Commedia Crew, Chester New Hall Courtyard, 7 p.m.

Thursday, June 20

Commedia Crew, Chester New Hall Courtyard, 7 p.m.

Friday, June 21

As You Like It University Club Hollow, 7 p.m.

Saturday, June 22

As You Like It, University Club Hollow, 2 p.m.

Poetry and High Tea University Club Hollow, 4 p.m.

Commedia Crew Chester New Hall Courtyard, 7 p.m.

Thursday, June 27

As You Like It University Club Hollow, 7 p.m.

Friday, June 28

Commedia Crew Chester New Hall Courtyard, 7 p.m.

Saturday, June 29

Commedia Crew Chester New Hall Courtyard, 2 p.m.
Poetry and High Tea University Club Hollow, 4 p.m.
As You Like It University Club Hollow, 7 p.m.

Please note that all evening shows begin at 7 p.m. and afternoon performances at 2 p.m. Under rainy conditions, all performances will move into Robinson Memorial Theatre. Admission is free, however, donations will gladly be accepted.