Hilo Community Players to Present ‘Othello’

The Hilo Community Players will present this summer’s offering of William Shakespeare’s “Othello” in a non-traditional format tailored to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Players will present the fully-mounted, live theatrical experience in a new, drive-in style from July 24 – 26 and July 30 – Aug. 1 at 7:30 p.m. The audience will view the performance from the safety and comfort of their own vehicles in the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium parking lot.

This year marks the 43rd production the Players have celebrated with their Shakespeare in the Park tradition. The 2020 version brings “Shakespeare in the Park…ing Lot” as a twist on the longest continuously-running theatrical Shakespeare tradition in Hawaiʻi.

The presentation was developed by the HCP team in an effort to keep everyone safe and healthy while presenting live theatre for the East Hawai’i community, a Players press release said.

Admission is free, though donations are accepted. The Civic parking lot will open at 6:30 p.m. each night, one hour prior to showtime. The audio of the show will be broadcast on an FM radio station, so the Players ask that the audience bring a radio or phone app and speakers to hear the show well from their vehicles. Those who wish to view from a further distance may also bring binoculars.

The County of Hawai’i advises that individuals sharing a vehicle be limited to a single household or social/exposure bubble. Chair/truckbed seats will be allowed but must be contained within the assigned parking stall. Bathrooms and concessions will be available onsite. Masks will be required for anyone outside of their vehicles, including traveling to and from their assigned parking stalls.

For more information, visit www.HiloPlayers.org or email HiloCommunityPlayers@gmail.com.