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SILVER CITY,NM—

DitchSpeare is coming back to Silver City for two weekends this year from May 15-24 with mid-week shows on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The free happening serves up more hot takes on favorite classical works of Shakespeare and contemporaries with joyful abandon.

When

DitchSpeare performances will run for two weeks: Fridays, May 15 & 22, at 6pm; with two shows on Saturdays, May 16 & 23 at both 4pm & 6pm; Sundays, May 17 & 24 at 6pm; and Tuesday & Thursday, May 19 & 21 at 6pm in the Big Ditch Park.

Where

The performance will be held south of Main Street Plaza, accessed between 6th and 7th streets in downtown Silver City. The playing space can be reached most directly via the two flights of stone stairs near the South corner of Main Street Plaza or via the ramp off of Kelly Street.

Bring

Audiences are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs, sunscreen, bug spray, and dress in layers as the air cools down at night in the mountains. There will be some concessions available, “we love to see people pack a picnic and enjoy being outside,” said producer and performer Wendy Spurgeon.

What to expect

The show is a pastiche of speeches, poetry, music, improv, and dance from Shakespeare and his contemporaries—such as Lope de Vega and Sor Juana de la Cruz of Spain and Mexico, respectively. The tone is lighthearted and fun with some deeper emotions and some mature themes thrown in. There is some naughty Shakespearean language and some very mild violence (no blood, no guns) and is suitable for most audiences. Be prepared to enjoy time outside.

The Show’s History

This year’s production owes a debt to the Shakespeare Sonnets produced in Gough Park in 2019 directed by Frost McGahey, Shakespeare WILL instructor and author of the play Who Invited Falstaff?, to the NM Shakespeare festival in Albuquerque, to the local Virus theatre's site specific and outdoor work and to the outdoor Shakespeare director Harris saw growing up in Texas. “I love street theatre and outdoor performance. I love the sense of community and I love spending time outdoors and letting my imagination fly while I listen to beautiful words and immerse myself in story and character. We’re sharing some of our favorite literature here, but playing with it and creating something that’s fun and timely and relatable. We hope you think so too,” says Harris.

Ditchspeare received so much support from the community when it premiered in 2023 that the director chose to draw the experiment out into an annual event. “Watch out,” joked director Hallie Harris, “if you feed the actors, they’ll keep showing up for more!”

DitchSpeare is being produced by the TheActrix Studio, LLC. It runs May 15-24 in the Big Ditch Park and is free to the public, although donations or “pay-what-you-will” tickets are encouraged and the actors will pass a hat.

DitchSpeare 2026, or Shakespeare in the Big Ditch Park

The Bards are Coming Soon to a Big Ditch Near You!

Team Members