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Top 10 Free Summer Outdoor Events

SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL: THE COMEDY OF ERRORS

SAN FRANCISCO, CA

JULY-SEPTEMBER 20, Saturdays @ 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2:30 p.m.

Though Shakespeare once lamented that “summer’s lease hath all too short a date,” it hasn’t stopped his most dedicated followers from fitting in tributes while the weather’s merry. Such is the case for free festivals in parks across the United States and particularly in San Francisco, whose Shakespeare in the Park is in its 26^th year and showing the classic “The Comedy of Errors.”

Helmed by seven-year Shakes veteran Kenneth Kelleher, this year’s edition will feature a varied cast of royals and rogues. With thousands of wannabe imitators in its wake, “The Comedy of Errors” is the ancient farce of Antipholus and his servant Dromio who embark from Syracuse to Ephesus in search of their estranged twin brothers and face enough mistaken identities and pratfalls to make Mr. Magoo blush.

You can count on theatre geeks turning out in full force in reverence of their mustachioed hero, but there’s a little something for everyone at San Francisco’s Shakespeare events. It’s a veritable circus, featuring jugglers, magicians, fire-breathers, live music and pockets of various impromptu performances. Be sure to bring a low chair or a blanket and a cooler of cold beverages and eats to skirt any unnecessary fees along the way.

By the way, you’ve got the luxury of flexibility: The festival is a Bay Area-wide event spanning the whole summer. The first session is set for Pleasanton’s Amador Valley Community Park (July 18-August 2), the second for Cupertino’s Memorial Park Amphitheater (August 8-August 23), and the third for The Presidio’s Main Post Parade Ground Lawn (August 29-September 20). It’s a fine alternative to impress a thespian date without having to tailor your love letters to iambic pentameter. It gets really old counting syllables, trust me.