The summer theater season is in full swing, with three seasonal venues up and running this week. Outdoor theater lovers can enjoy long lazy twilights at productions of Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” in the Arb. Or, take a more residential approach at the Carriage House Theatre, located on Ann Arbor’s Old West Side, close enough to Washtenaw Dairy to grab an ice cream cone at intermission!

As the solstice approaches, the halcyon days of the season are upon us. Time to turn off the television, get out of the house, and enjoy some of the wondrous summer events that Washtenaw theaters have to offer!

Show: “Landlocked” by Cusi Cram, through June 15
Company: Carriage House Theatre
Type of Company: Pre-professional
Venue/location: Carriage House Theatre, 541 Third St, Ann Arbor
Recommended ages: 12+
Description: Anna is a Swiss artist who makes beautiful collages out of trash she finds on beaches. At a gallery opening of her work, she meets Pierre-Luigi, a Bolivian restaurateur who discovers his dentures in one of her pieces, and Aldo, an American trash collector looking to make a fresh start in Switzerland. Anna begins seeing Aldo and starts a correspondence with Pierre-Luigi. But with each person running from their past, can any of them hope to find their place in the world? A poignant comedy about love, loss, teeth, and new beginnings.
More information
Fun fact: Playwright Cusi Cram is a graduate of Brown University and the Lila Acheson American Playwright’s Program at Juilliard.
For tickets and information: carriagehousetheatre.org

Show: “The Marriage of Figaro” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, through June 16
Company: Arbor Opera Theatre
Type of Company: Professional Opera Company
Venue/location: Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre, 911 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor.
Recommended ages: 12+
Description: A new spin on a Mozart classic that also stays true to the original. Mozart's original opera, which was based on Beaumarchais' play "Le folle journee', ou le Mariage de Figaro," was set in 18th century Spain. But Arbor Opera Theater's version moves the action to an English country house circa the 1910s. It is a setting that is purposefully similar to, and inspired by the BBC (and PBS) hit TV show "Downton Abbey."
Preview from AnnArbor.com
Fun Fact: 2 full casts of professional opera singers will be featured. The main reason for this is to feature as many emerging opera singers as possible. Arbor Opera Theater's mission "is to give emerging artists professional opportunities—graduates from the university or singers who have started their professional careers.
For tickets and information: 734-763-8587, www.arboropera.com

Show: “Much Ado About Nothing” by William Shakespeare, through June 23
Company: Shakespeare in the Arb
Type of Company: Higher Education, Community
Venue/location: Nichols Arboretum, box office is located at 1610 Washington Hts., Ann Arbor
Recommended ages: 6+
Description: An environmental staging of Shakespeare’s comedy about love and loyalty. Directed by Kate Mendeloff and played by University of Michigan students and local actors, the beloved Shakespeare in the Arb draws thousands of devoted Shakespeare fans every summer from Ann Arbor and beyond. What makes Shakespeare in the Arb unique is the way the productions are staged, with scenes and audience moving through the Arboretum during the play. All the Arb’s a stage!
Review from AnnArbor.com
Fun fact: The play is one of the few in the Shakespeare canon where the majority of the text is written in prose. The substantial verse sections are used both to achieve courteous decorum, on the one hand, and impulsive energies, on the other.
For tickets and information: www.lsa.umich.edu/mbg/
Special ticket offer: MBGNA members get a discount and can purchase tickets at 5, before others at 5:30. Tickets for Shakespeare in the Arb are sold directly before each show. Limited seating available; arrive early. For ticket updates follow us on Twitter. Parking is available after 5 pm in University blue lots on Washington Hts., or in the U-M Hospital P2 parking structure on E. Medical Center Dr., or in metered spots on Washington Hts. or Observatory. Ann Arbor city buses also pick up an drop off on Washington Hts and E. Medical Center. Visit the AATA website for more information.

Show: "Cymbeline," by William Shakespeare. Regular performances June 14-29 at 7 p.m.
Company: The Blackbird Theatre
Type of Company: Professional non-Equity company employing Equity actors under guest contract
Venue/location: West Park Band Shell, 300 N. Seventh St., Ann Arbor.
Recommended ages: 13+
Description provided by the company: "Shakespeare's brutal, dark, and wildly funny epic comes to Ann Arbor's West Park Band Shell. A cast of six brings the madness to life in Michigan's most beautiful outdoor venue. The story: Chaos breaks out across Europe when King Cymbeline (Lynch Travis, Member of Actors Equity Association) learns that his daughter Imogen (Jamie Weeder) has married poor courtier Posthumus (Alastar Dimitrie). She flees the wicked Queen (Qamara Black) and her depraved son (also Alastar Dimitrie) for the wild countryside. Imogen's conniving page Pisanio (Jesse Arehart-Jacobs) has unwittingly poisoned her, while the exiled Posthumus falls under the spell of a corrupt and dangerous Italian (Dan Johnson). In the days leading up to the Roman invasion of Britain, secrets and lies will lead everyone down a path of self-destruction. Heads will roll as the disasters unfold." Directed by Barton Bund. Set design by Joshua Parker. Costume and special effects makeup by Jeannie Arquette. Patrons are encouraged to bring chairs, blankets, picnics.
Preview from AnnArbor.com
Facebook event page
Tickets: $15-$20. All tickets available at the gate.