Independent Shakespeare Co.

Loved what you saw on the Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival stage? Now's your chance to learn from the best! ISC co-founders David Melville and Melissa Chalsma are breaking down the ISC approach to Shakespearean verse and prose structure.

Are you an experienced actor looking to hone your craft and dive deep into Shakespeare's text? Scene Study is the course for you! Looking to gain confidence with public speaking and text analysis? Our Monologue Studio is a great place for you to start!

Scene Study meets weekly on Mondays, beginning September 30. Monologue Studio meets weekly on Wednesdays, beginning October 2. Visit iscla.org/classes to register and learn more!

📸 Scottie Images

Thank you to everyone who joined us in the Forest of Arden this summer! 40 incredible performances of As You Like It under the trees and stars, made possible by you. We're already hard at work planning the 2025 Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival but we're not quite ready to let this summer go. Look out for more stories and photos that we didn't have a chance to share during our run!

While we sift through our collective camera rolls, what was your favorite moment from this year's Festival?

A summer of laughter, love, hijinks, music, joy, and camaraderie ends TONIGHT! Join us in Arden - one last time. Trust us, you do NOT want to miss this magical production. Help us celebrate a magical summer of As You Like It!

The final performance of the Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival begins at 7 PM. Experience the immersive pre-show beginning at 6 PM. We'll meet you in the park!

📸 Reynaldo Macías Photography

Final show! AS YOU LIKE IT takes the stage ONE last time—this is your last chance! Don’t miss the epic conclusion. Are you joining us?

Banishment never looked better! TWO chances left to catch these outlaws in action 🎙️🎷🎸

Joining us this weekend? We recommend arriving early! Find a closer parking spot, enjoy a picnic on the grass lawn, and immersive yourself in our pre-show prologue. But just remember - DON'T FEED THE OUTLAWS!

📸 Reynaldo Macías Photography

Last 2 chances to see AS YOU LIKE IT! Don’t miss your moment to experience the magic in the Forest of Arden before it’s gone. Tag someone who needs to be there!

Audiences are LOVING As You Like it! But don't take our word for it, check out this rave review from longtime ISC friend and audience member, Frank L. And don't let this weekend slip away without catching one of our final performances!

"A beautiful night in the forest of Arden (Griffith Park Old Zoo) for the best production of my favorite Shakespeare play I've ever seen. That makes it the best play I've seen in 13 years of experiencing upwards of 30 plays a year, give or take a few. This production is what I've chased all these years. This is my 'White Whale'. Lightening in a bottle. It's what every company that boldly puts forth a production aspires to...what live theater is all about." - Frank L.

📸 Reynaldo Macías Photography

AS YOU LIKE IT has only 3 shows remaining! Time is slipping away.
Don't wait—bring a friend and catch it while you still can!

We're seeing double 😍😍 Celia and Rosalind, meet Celia and Rosalind. We even had two Silvius' in the house! Check out these throwbacks from our 2013 production of As You Like It where Aisha Kabia played Celia ISC, Melissa Chalsma played Rosalind, & Erwin Tuazon played Silvius.

FOUR chances left to catch this production before it's gone for good!

The clock is ticking—2+2=4, and that’s all you’ve got! Just 4 performances left of AS YOU LIKE IT! Pack your picnic blanket, snacks, and favorite ISC hoodie, and join us before it’s too late. Tag someone who needs to see this must-see show!

Want a guaranteed seat at one of our final performances? Skip the headache of trying to beat the crowds and treat yourself to a cushioned chair with a great view of the stage! Limited reserved seating options are still available for our last 5 performances but they're filling up quickly.

Select the performance you'd prefer and how many chairs you need at iscla.org/festival-2024. It's that simple! Your gift makes it possible for us to offer FORTY performances for FREE. Thank you for supporting the Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival!

Can we get a round of applause for our FABULOUS Rosalind and Celia?! Name a more iconic duo, we'll wait 🤭

This is your last week to catch them in action! There are 5 shows left, starting tomorrow night. Already seen it? Come back and bring a friend (or a cousin 😉) to help us celebrate the end of the 2024 Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival!

📸 Reynaldo Macías Photography

AS YOU LIKE IT is approaching its final performances—your time is running out... Only 5 shows left Tag someone who needs to see it before it closes!

It’s the final week of the 2024 Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival! Don’t miss your last chance to see As You Like It! Which day will you be joining us? Come on Wednesday for Extra Leg Room, Thursday for More Parking, Friday to Kick Off the Long Weekend, Saturday to Beat the Traffic and enjoy the show, or Sunday to End the Festival with a magical night under the stars.

It's the FINAL WEEK of the Festival! Don't miss your chance to bid a fond farewell to As You Like It. And if you haven't joined us yet, what are you waiting for?!

Our last performances are this Wednesday through Sunday at 7 PM. We'll meet you at the park!

📸 Reynaldo Macías Photography

"The music is sweet, the players skilled and the setting is bucolic. ISC free Shakespeare patrons only get one production this summer, but IT'S A WINNER!" - Broadway World

Join us tonight for another magical performance of As You Like It! Can you believe we only have SIX shows left this summer?!

📸 Reynaldo Macías Photography

TONIGHT (8/25) is an ASL interpreted performance! For audience members who communicate with sign language, this performance of As You Like It features three extraordinary interpreters (from Pro Bono ASL) next to the stage. We still have space in our ASL-Interpreted section. Reserve your spot online!

Join us at 6 PM for the immersive prologue, which will also be interpreted, followed by the performance starting at 7 PM.

This event, like all others at the Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival, is completely FREE! Register and find out more at iscla.org/2024-calendar. Still have questions? Email [email protected]

Fall in love as summer winds down with our As You Like It, a screwball romantic comedy with songs inspired by 1930’s crooner, Al Bowlly. Discover a world of vivid characters and romantic possibilities 🥰

In the hour before the performance, you’re invited to explore the world of the play during an immersive prologue. There, you will have the opportunity to interact with characters as well as learn a few secrets. Once the play begins, you’ll get cozy in your spot and enjoy one of Shakespeare’s most heartfelt and witty comedies.

Immersive prologue begins at 6 and the show begins at 7. Check out iscla.org/festival-2024 for tips on picnics, parking, and more!

📸 Reynaldo Macías Photography

"William Elsman bringing intriguing dimension to the melancholy Jacques... Elsman is a riot as the trash-talking wrestler Charles (AKA Two-Buck Chuck) who transforms from swaggering blowhard to well-mannered courtier whenever he lifts his mask." - Broadway World

He has the RANGE! Whether you're rooting on Charles the Wrestler or commiserating with Jacques, there's something for everyone to enjoy. Check out As You Like It tonight and tomorrow at 7 PM!

And, if you want to join in on the wrestling fun, join us starting at 6 PM for our immersive prologue. There might be a spot in the ring for you 👀

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"Performed in the round, and occasionally in the audience, ISC’s As You Like It is dynamic, full-bodied, and whimsical. Besides the fact that As You Like It is perfectly suited to the experiential nature of Shakespeare in the Park, the production is meticulously crafted, from the immersive and detail-oriented design to the ensemble’s overall musicality in tempo and pacing." - Larchmont Buzz

Spend a whimsical night in the Forest of Arden this weekend! You only have EIGHT chances left to experience the magic of As You Like It. With free admission AND free parking, it's the perfect summer night out! Visit iscla.org/plan-your-visit-2024 for more info

📸 Reynaldo Macías Photography

TONIGHT (8/23) is TeenTix Night! Before the show, you can learn more about this incredible organization committed to making arts accessible to teens in Los Angeles. We've been a proud partner of theirs ever since the LA branch started. Already a TeenTix pass holder? You'll have a reserved spot to watch the show from!

TeenTix Los Angeles exists to break down the barriers that prevent teens from accessing art in our community, such as ticket or admission cost, not knowing where to look for events, navigating transportation around the city, and feeling insecure around arts-going if there's no one in their lives already championing the arts. ANY teenager (13-19 years old) can sign up for a free TeenTix pass! The pass entitles teens to purchase $5 day-of-show tickets at any of a growing list of partner organizations in the Los Angeles area.

We're down to the final few performances and that means space on the grass lawn is filling up quickly! Want a guaranteed, reserved seat at one of our last performances? Support free Shakespeare with this amazing perk!

Visit iscla.org/festival-2024 to reserve chairs at your preferred performance today. Your support keeps the Griffith Park Shakespeare Festival free for all!

"The director himself [David Melville] contributes a couple of original songs and a deft comic turn as the caustic tongued fool, Touchstone... [Daisy Tichenor makes] a banquet out of the adorable simple goatherd, Audrey." - Broadway World

Another week of performances begins TONIGHT! Pack your picnics and join us for As You Like It in the beautifully shaded Dell. Don't let summer pass without seeing this screwball romantic comedy!

📸 Reynaldo Macías Photography

TONIGHT (8/21) before the performance - join Pickle Drag Queen, West Hollywood’s first Drag Laureate, for Drag Story Hour! This pre-show event begins at 6 PM, giving you plenty of time to participate, experience the immersive prologue, and reclaim your seat before the performance begins. Read on for more details 👇

What is Drag Story Hour? It’s just what it sounds like! Storytellers using the art of drag to read books to kids in libraries, schools, and bookstores. DSH captures the imagination and play of the gender fluidity of childhood and gives kids glamorous, positive, and unabashedly q***r role models. In spaces like this, kids are able to see people who defy rigid gender restrictions and imagine a world where everyone can be their authentic selves!

This Sunday, August 25 is an ASL interpreted performance! For audience members who communicate with sign language, this performance of As You Like It features three extraordinary interpreters (from Pro Bono ASL) next to the stage. Join us at 6 PM for the immersive prologue, which will also be interpreted, followed by the performance starting at 7 PM. Reserve your spot in the ASL-Interpreted Section today!

This event, like all others at the Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival, is completely FREE! Register and find out more at iscla.org/2024-calendar. Still have questions? Email [email protected]