The Bard in a Backpack: Shakespeare troupe tours Whidbey to promote summer season

Published 1:30 am Friday, March 13, 2026

By PATRICIA GUTHRIE

Special to The Record

Shakespeare is hitting the road again, this time with Hamlet and a Happy Hour.

For the second year, Island Shakespeare Festival is traveling around Whidbey Island on a spring tour dubbed “Shakespeare in a Backpack.” Over the next three weeks, 11 performances are scheduled in Oak Harbor, Coupeville and Langley at a variety of venues, including theaters, libraries, bars and a winery.

Reservations are required for the performances because of the small venues. Ticket prices are not set and are by donation, which is fundamental to the organization’s inclusive philosophy.

“The spring tour is just one more way that Island Shakespeare Festival is making theatre accessible to all – by bringing this pay-what-you-will show to your own backyard,” said Angelica Metcalfe, ISF operations director.

The 45-minute short play is promoted as “a retelling of Hamlet like you’ve never seen before.”

In the play, two guards, played by local actors David Mayer and Melanie Lowey, are patrolling the grounds of Elsinore Castle, the setting of Hamlet. When they meet for an after-shift beverage, they begin comparing notes on Shakespeare’s famous work. Iconic monologues from Hamlet and contemporary comedic banter highlight the performance.

The spring tour helps promote the organization’s summer festival scheduled July 17 – Sept. 6. This year’s productions are “Macbeth” and “Robin Hood,” performed in a rotating repertory.

Taking the Bard on the road also helps introduce or re-introduce the plays, plots and passions of William Shakespeare. Although he’s one of the most widely performed playwrights in history, he died 410 years ago, which is way before social media, overnight influencers or Tik-Tok trends.

“The spring tour is specifically geared toward demystifying Shakespeare and helping convince our community that the Bard can be exciting and fun,” said Executive Artistic Director Olena Hodges. “‘Happy Hour Hamlet’ is filled with Easter eggs for folks who know the play well, and it does a fantastic job of illuminating the plot, characters, and staying power of the play for those who aren’t as familiar.”

The play may even appeal to people who usually tune out when they hear the Shakespearean soliloquy “to be, or not to be,” Hodges added.

During the 2025 spring tour, actors visited nine different venues, including one in Everett. The tours are sponsored by Puget Sound Energy.

Going into its 17th season, Island Shakespeare Festival has become a popular company — and quest — for actors looking for a sweet summertime gig. More than 1,000 actors from 44 states answered the casting call for “Macbeth” and “Robin Hood,” Hodges said. The second round of callbacks is underway.

In its promos, ISF said the upcoming season will “explore what it means to lead with heart in a world hungry for change.”

Summer performances are in a 200-seat outdoor amphitheater on Maxwelton Road in Langley. An orange and white circus concession tent, fondly known as Henry, is its steadfast trademark. Chilly marine breezes, popping colorful veggies in a nearby elementary school garden and evening sunsets are showtime bonuses.

Reservations required for Shakespeare in a Backpack at www.ticketsource.com/island-shakespeare-festival/e-loxbyl.

Island Shakespeare Festival is at www.islandshakespearefest.org.