Department of Tourism
Equus Run to Host Shakespeare Play in June

MIDWAY, Ky. – The melodious words of the great playwright William Shakespeare will fill the air at Equus Run Winery’s amphitheater in Woodford County as Actors Guild of Lexington stages six performances of Love’s Labors Lost in June.

“This is a win-win proposition for both us and the Actors Guild,” said Cynthia Bohn, the winery’s owner. “It will bring the arts to a larger audience and attract more visitors to Equus Run.”

If this summer’s Shakespeare production is as successful as expected, plans call for staging three or four different shows at Equus Run in summer 2008, organizers said.

Staging outdoor summer theater in the heart of the Bluegrass will boost the region’s tourism, said Randy Fiveash, Kentucky’s Commissioner of Tourism.

“This innovative idea holds the promise of bringing more visitors to Woodford County and the surrounding area,” Fiveash said. He said research shows the number one reason for out-of-state travelers to come to the Bluegrass region is to visit relatives or friends. “To keep them coming, we’ve got to have new and unique things for them to do while they’re here.”

The Actors Guild, a nonprofit group that currently is the only professional theater company in Lexington, will expand its reach with the summer productions at Equus Run. For its part, the winery stands to see large crowds of theater-goers filling its amphitheater, which has hosted popular music concerts for several summers. The amphitheater on the banks of Elkhorn Creek has capacity for 1,200 spectators on its terraced lawn.

This summer’s performances of Love’s Labors Lost are set for June 21, 22, 23, 28, 29 and 30. Anthony R. Haigh, head of the arts and humanities program at Centre College, will direct the production. The tentative 2008 plans call for multiple performances of three or four productions at the winery spread throughout the summer.
 
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