Montana Shakespeare in the Parks this week.

The company will perform “Henry V” on Aug. 8 and “As You Like It” on Aug. 9.

Both performances are free and begin at 6 p.m. in Gibson Park.

The Great Falls Theater Company will perform a pre-show at 5:15 p.m. both days.

This is the 53rd year of the tour and the season includes 79 performances in 65 communities.

The program provides performances for rural communities and grade schools that might not otherwise have access to free theater of MSIP’s quality and scope. It is one of the largest and oldest Shakespeare companies in the U.S., Kevin Asselin, executive artistic director of Montana Shakespeare in the Parks, said in a release.

“Giving young people the opportunity to experience these shows is the cornerstone of what we do and is the reason we’re still around after five decades,” he said.

Shakespeare in the Parks in Gibson Park on Aug. 28 [2023]

MSIP considered nearly 400 actors across the country for its summer cast of 11, five of whom are returning performers.

Avery Johnson, a 23-year-old from Arlington, Va., is one such MSIP alumnus and plays Henry in “Henry V” and Corin in “As You Like It.”

Johnson said “Henry V” explores themes of justice, duty and mercy through the historical tale of England’s King Henry. The character grapples with running a country torn apart by civil wars and eventually leads England to victory against France in the Battle of Agincourt.

Growing up, Shakespeare felt inaccessible to him, he said in a release. On middle school field trips to see Shakespeare’s plays, Johnson noticed that not only was everyone in the audience white but so were the actors. He said that as a Black performer, it wasn’t until college that he realized he could relate to Shakespearean roles with gravitas and complexity.

Winter tour of Shakespeare in the Parks comes to Great Falls Nov. 14 [2022]

Now a part of MSIP, Johnson treasures moments, such as a child from Laurel coming up to him in awe of his performance or a group in Great Falls giving him a wave each year as he comes on stage.

“I remember having that exact experience seeing myself on stage for the first time and being like, ‘Whoa, we can also do that?’ It does mean a lot to me: that feeling of ‘There’s somebody who looks like me doing this thing,’” Johnson said in a release. “That’s what MSIP is all about. Anybody can connect with these stories.”

This year’s performance of “As You Like It,” starring Emily Hawkins and directed by Eva Breneman, features an updated wardrobe ranging from Rococo-era gowns to clothing reminiscent of the early Rolling Stones. Production elements are essential in bringing the shows to life and can help audience members identify characters’ relationships without knowledge of Elizabethan-era language, said Angela Cateora, costume shop manager, stitcher and MSU alumna.

“It’s a universal language, and it’s timeless,” said Cateora, who joined MSIP in 2018 as an MSU student in the College of Arts and Architecture. “If you open your mind for 90 minutes, you can have fun with Shakespeare.”