Indeed, summer will soon grace us with its presence, and there are few things better than an evening of theater, music or dance at the Simon Estes Riverfront Amphitheater.
Iowa Shakespeare Experience (last year called “Shakesperience”) will have these and more at its free presentation of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” July 16–19. The actors, dancers and musicians are inviting their guests to “picnic with panache” before the performance.
“We wanted people in Iowa to have the experience of picnicking in the same way people do at Tanglewood and Wolf Trap,” says Robin Heinemann, referring to the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s summer festival and Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts’ outdoor performances, respectively.
The Iowa event’s “music and the theater are extraordinary, and people really know how to create a fabulous experience by incorporating a memorable picnic,” adds Heinemann, executive director of Iowa Shakespeare Experience. “The festival-goers help create the event.”
Heinemann’s troupe will present awards for some outstanding picnics, such as the most romantic or most festive. Small tents will be available for rent as well, in case you prefer an intimate venue.
Last’s year’s Shakespeare event “was the highlight of my summer,” says Joan Burke, who prepared dinner for her mother and a group of friends in one of the rented tents. “We had champagne chilling in a silver bucket, lovely crystal and delicious food.
“I love to cook, but Gateway Market can supply everything that’s needed for a picnic,” she adds. “We had their cheeses and wonderful fresh strawberries.”
“The Shakespeare Experience is a great way to spend an evening,” says Woody Brenton, who last year picnicked with his wife, Julia, before one of the performances. “The ambience of the river, the play and a nice picnic dinner are unbeatable. We try to keep things interesting, festive, fun and not too complicated.”
As Shakespeare said: “Summer’s lease hath all too short a date. . . “ So embrace the season: In addition to the Iowa Shakespeare Experience, you can dine alfresco at the Des Moines Symphony’s “Yankee Doodle Pops” concert on the Capitol grounds; the Repertory Theater of Iowa’s performance of “Merry Wives of Windsor” on the Salisbury House lawn; and Metro Arts Alliance’s Jazz in July concerts at parks throughout the metro area.
What to Pack
Planning a picnic with pizazz needn’t be daunting or involve hiring a team of Sherpas to ferry your comestibles to the riverbank. It’s simple to make the entire evening as magical as Shakespeare’s “fairie play.” Here are some ideas to get you started:
First, choose a theme. Much of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” takes place in an enchanted fairyland, ruled by Oberon and Titania. Playgoers can imagine themselves along the banks of a river in Tuscany, beside the Bard’s beloved Thames or in a fairyland of their own.
An Italian picnic traditionally begins with antipasto. The summer’s asparagus crop is never more delicious than when wrapped in Iowa’s local treasure, LaQuercia prosciutto. Graziano Bros. can provide olive salad, salami and an array of cheeses. The main course can be simple pasta shapes, such as farfalle or rotini, served at room temperature and tossed with homemade vinaigrette, marinated artichokes and whatever fresh vegetables the day’s farmers market yields. Served on a bed of fresh butter lettuce, pasta, accompanied by bread from South Union or La Mie bakeries, is the perfect summer supper.
Shakespeare never ventured farther from his native Stratford than London, about 50 miles. A British tea alongside the river is an easy, elegant way to celebrate the greatest playwright of the English language.
True British tea is a substantial meal, not a “cuppa” and a cookie. Pack an array of savory crustless tea sandwiches. Coat thinly sliced bread with butter or cream cheese (or a mixture of both) and fill with the traditional cucumber, curried chicken salad, deviled egg salad, or paper-thin slices of roast beef with British mustard. Tiny tomatoes and snap peas can be dipped in crème fraiche seasoned with fresh dill. And no tea would be complete without excellent British cheeses, such as cheddar and Stilton.
Shakespeare’s groundlings, those who couldn’t afford to pay for a seat and watched the play standing on the ground floor of the Globe Theater, brought their food with them. Fruits and nuts were common, and apple cores and walnut shells littered the cobblestones of “the pit,” where they stood for three hours watching the play unfold.
Fruits and nuts are also great fare for a 21st-century Shakespeare show. Midsummer’s berries are at their peak, and the delicious stone fruits, particularly peaches, plums and apricots, are coming into season.
Delicious Desserts
Dessert is where simple elegance shines, and local purveyors of delicacies can lend an air of European sophistication to the meal’s grace note.
Sweet Binney’s in Clive, for instance, offers tartlets, miniature cheesecakes, brownies, lemon bars and more. Let Them Eat Cake, on Maple Street in Valley Junction, makes phenomenal single-serving cakes. Tres leches cake, using evaporated, sweetened condensed and whole milk, is a Mexican tradition and an ideal summer treat, but don’t ignore the more traditional chocolate or vanilla offerings.
Serve fresh berries with the fudge squares or petit fours from The Bake Shoppe in Windsor Heights, or brighten your picnic plate with Hiland Bakery’s hand-decorated sugar cookies, with their colorful frosted flowers or fun summer sandals.
And what if you forget dessert? Not a problem. Chocolaterie Stam will have a booth at this year’s festival.
Beverages
Of course, wines are always welcome and easily transported. Roll flutes or glasses in napkins for safe transport. Champagne is the perfect complement to a warm summer evening. Add sparkle to your glass with a slice of white peach or a few fresh raspberries or tuck a tiny bottle of crème de cassis or Chambord in your basket for a Kir Royale. Red or white sangria, pinot grigio or gewürztraminer are additional summery options.
Those who prefer non-alcoholic beverages can enjoy lemonade or limeade with sprigs of fresh mint or iced raspberry tea. Always pack a few bottles of still water in the cooler; they’ll be welcome.
Take along a perfect after-dinner refresher. Wet washcloths or napkins with lemon water and wring until just damp; roll them and freeze individually in sandwich bags. They’ll thaw during dinner and guests can refresh themselves before the festivities begin.
So pack your china, wrap your crystal, come to the river and, like the memorable Puck, become “that merry wanderer of the night.”
