Kicking off their summer season of outdoor theatre, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company (CSC), in partnership with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston, will host a free, open-air community arts day at the Blue Hill Club at Harambee Park next month. The event, which will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. on July 11, is part of the Fair Verona Festivals, a series of three arts festivals held at various Boys and Girls clubs across the city. The other two fairs will be held in Roxbury and Allston.

Josh Kraft, President and CEO of Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston, commented on the partnership between the Boys and Girls Clubs and CSC.
“We have had a positive experience working with their talented and professional staff and look forward to hosting free outdoor summer Shakespeare events at our Clubs in Dorchester and Roxbury,” said Josh Kraft, President and CEO of Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston. “Our members and their families who live in these underserved neighborhoods often lack access to the performing arts.  We are thankful that Commonwealth Shakespeare Company shares our belief that everyone should have access to the arts.”

The Fair Verona Festivals are the third and final initiative of Shakespeare OFF the Common, an arts program of CSC funded by the company’s 2013 National Arts Endowment “Our Town” grant of $100,000. The program consisted of a series of workshops offered to students in March and a production of Romeo and Juliet at the Strand Theater in Dorchester in May. Shakespeare OFF the Common also serves as a celebration of CSC’s 20th season anniversary.

Attendees of festivals will have access to a variety of workshops and performances from a variety of local artists, including dance, music, and visual arts. Participants at the Dorchester festival include the Museum of Fine Arts, the Boston Ballet, Urbanity Dance, and afro-beat/afro-dance band Federator No.1.

Each festival will also include a performance of Romeo and Juliet by CSC2, CSC’s company of early-career actors. As an added bonus, attendees will also receive a special invitation to view CSC’s production of King Lear at Free Shakespeare on the Common from Friends section, which provides reserved seating for the performance. The company’s production of King Lear will run from July 22 to August 9.