california shakespeare theater

mybeach101f

We love attending events here. The beautiful Oaks behind the stage make everything feel inspired. Its fun to bring a picnic and eat outside before the play starts. Any event here would be special. We attended Mike Daisy's production of Hamlet and then also Macbeth. We loved both shows and the venue was superb. This is a memorable place to attend any event.

Newfie-Traveller07

We had no idea it would be so beautiful. We bought tickets for a Mat Kearney concert thinking it would be a big amphitheater. instead we had a magical night in a small, intimate venue. With the hills in the background any performance would be fantastic just for the aesthetics.

mw4_10

Outdoor theater, with a large dose of Shakespeare each season, in the East Bay Area of San Francisco. Excellent cast. Stunning amophitheater setting. Family friendly, picnic grounds. Troupe experiments with presentations in always interesting ways. Come nearly every summer when in the area.

drmader

Family friendly, bring dinner or buy it here, have a glass of wine and watch a great show..bring a blanket or wear a jacket-gorgeous venue and always a good show. Call ahead to check content for kids...and buy tickets early...our teens groaned and then loved Romeo and Juliet -we try and go every summer. Dont have to be a Shakespearan expert to understand or enjoy..

Double64Double

We have been coming to "CalShakes" for many years. Our family looks forward to each season - and we often make an picnic to accompany the show.A mix of Shakespeare and other playwrights. Be prepared for some unorthodox delivery - always interesting !The outdoor amphitheater is wonderful, but take a coat or blanket for the evening performances.Students can get discounted tickets, and subscribers can shift performances easily.Have tickets kept at will call for one less thing to worry about.

craig993

If you have an opportunity to see a CalShakes production, take it: wonderful productions in an open setting with a beautiful pre-show picnic area. Make sure you bring several layers of clothes -- it can get COLD at night.

988debbies

We have been season subscribers for many years. Cal Shakes' productions are of excellent quality, with some of the best talent in the Bay Area and beyond. They typically do two Shakespeare plays and 2 works of other playwrights each season. The venue is beautiful, and there are no bad seats. We love to picnic in the lower grove prior to the shows. When the fog rolls in, the weather can be cold, but attendees have learned to bundle up and bring blankets. On a warm evening, it's delightful. We saw a performance of Hamlet during which the natural bay fog rolled in during the ghost scene; how more perfect can you get! Their education programs for kids and teens are also great.

dangerFlorida

We attended one of the preview performances of The Comedy of Errors. This organization knows how to do a Shakespearian comedy! The beautiful outdoor setting on a quiet wooded hillside is a delight. Just be sure to dress warmly.

CameronM229

3=meets, 4=exceeds, 5=rare.The reputation of CalShakes precedes it, so it's a tall order for this attraction to exceed expectations.The production values and acting are of the highest level. There is just so much talent around the Bay Area. As others have pointed out it is a fairly intimate and informal outside venue. The actors are unamplified, as far as I can tell from the 3 performances I've seen. There are occasional issues with hearing dialog, but I understand that they loan out some kind of hearing aid equipment.The food and beverages from the cafe are simple but competently done, and reasonably priced for a captive audience.There isn't a bad seat in the house, as far as I can tell.The seats are all lawn-chair type. The ones in the back center are low beach chairs. Not particularly comfortable for 2+ hours of sitting still.

Casey688

My wife and I are season ticket holders. This is a real jewel tucked into the hills of the East Bay Municipal park district. The Brun amphitheater is very cozy, intimate. Every seat offers a great experience. The plays are professionally done, very interesting mix of shows. History, Comedy, Shakespeare, Broadway. The shows are often purposely relevant to curren events and often provocative, will make you think. The theatre is reasonably small, cozy, easy access and parking. Its a nice place to come early and picnic. The hillside setting is restful, peaceful, calming. Puts you in a great frame of mind, very relaxing! You can bring your own food, or buy food (which by the way is very good and reasonably priced) at the concession stand. Shows generally start around 8 PM, none seem to run later than 10 PM, if you have dinner, a great night out, not too late either. My positive experience led me to make an additional contribution to their operating fund. I'm recommending that you go to at least one show, you will then want to see more!

Morcella

We were a group of six friends out for an evening of fun and friendship. The picnic grounds are plentiful, tables and trees. We were able to get in the shade. While we were eating a member of the theatre company gave a talk about the evenings performance. Very interesting and with a fun spin. We were able to enjoy our food and wine and then walk to the outdoor theatre. The seats are arranged so that everyone has a good view of the stage, and able to hear the performers. I thoroughly enjoyed the play. The fog may roll in, add cool breezes and it gets cold. Dress warm, layer, and if needed rent a blanket. At intermission hot drinks are available for purchase! An much enjoyed evening under the stars with the Bovines chiming in from the hills above!

NorthernCalifGal

I have been to a variety of performances here over the years. The actors never fail! They are quite an experienced lot, know how to project their voice in this outdoor auditorium. The directing is also imaginative, and the productions quite interesting. They have renovated the public areas lately, with a new cafe and restrooms. There is a picnic area for pre-perfornace dining, either buy your food there, or bring your own, including alcolhol from either source. It can be hot, freezing, cold, windy or just plain nice - depends on the time of year, and what the weather is doing between the Golden Gate and the inland areas, as this hilly pass is the go-through for fog and wind if there is a lot of difference between the 2 areas. Bring a hat, sunscreen, or alternately, a blanket and gloves.

mrandmrs111

Take your own food and enjoy the special atmosphere of the picnic area. Shortly before the performance, a brief talk is available to those who wish to partake. The amphitheatre itself can be very cold...it caught us out, but blankets are available if you have not brought sufficient layers of your own. The performance? We saw Hamlet...an outstanding one.

Frankee11

Cal Shakes has top notch theater, and you get to sit outside in the Bruns Amphitheater. We saw Blithe Spirit (Noel Coward) and were 100% pleased. Classic Catering's food offerings are less than classic, however, and we recommend you bring your own picnic food to eat in the lovely surroundings. Cookies and popcorn and drinks are fine, tho. Also if you go at night, don't expect summery weather; it will be COLD so wear your down vest or jacket and maybe gloves. They rent fleece blankets if you forget to bring one. Seats are funky but tolerable; we bring cushions. Just remember, the play's the thing!

tiglao

Spunk! The Play.This is the 2nd time I have visited Cal Shakes and I have not been disappointed.It was a lot colder, so we rented blankets at the concession stand. It was $2.00 suggested donation. :-) It did make us more comfortable.The stage was set-up beautifully. The actors are very talented. Their voices are beautiful. The "Guitar Man" was singing and engaging the audience before the show. The artistic director spoke a few words too. It was a very fun experience.The show does not have an intermission, FYI. So.. make sure when you are drinking wine or your Peet's Coffee... The restrooms are clean. There are also Port-a-Potties on top of the hill.As always, ladies.. wear comfortable shoes.. those beautiful stilettos won't work for this venue.