Nothing quite says summer to me more than sitting under the stars and trees on a blanket surrounded by friends. On Thursday night, I escaped from the city to the urban forest of High Park. If you haven’t been, it’s a gorgeous area, made even better by the return of Shakespeare in High Park. My friends and I set up on a blanket on the grass and stone stairway with some snacks, and I truly got lost in the performance. Even the 5 minutes of light rain didn’t faze me. This year is the 30th anniversary of the production in High Park, put on by the Canadian Stage. In honor of the anniversary, they returned to their very first production, A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

The good thing about A Midsummer’s Night Dream is that the story can be easily followed even for those who grew to despise Shakespeare’s language through high school.  The performance was a sensation and the stage was beautifully put together with a simplicity that was continually transforming. This year it had a Toronto twist that kept the whole crowd laughing throughout the hour and a half show. It was such an entertaining evening for people of all ages, I would say it is a must-do Toronto Summer event. So pack up a snack, some water, a blanket and some bug spray and hop on the subway. You can go see it from now until September 2nd, Tuesdays to Sunday, beginning at 8pm. While the show is pay-what-you-can, there is a suggested donation of 20$.

~ Molly Grove, @MollyAlice99