Imagine this: gentle music playing, close-up shots of buzzing bees and swaying grass, a tent rising in the distance. You wander in, expecting the warmth of ovens and Paul Hollywood’s steely blue gaze. Surprisingly, a stage stands before you. Is that Yorick’s chapless skull you see? Perhaps the brush of Caesar’s robe, or Bottom’s hairy ear? Because there aren’t any British bakers here. Instead, three of Austin’s premier Shakespearean companies (Austin Shakespeare, the Baron’s Men, and Walking Shadow Shakespeare Project) battle to determine Bat City’s best bards. Audiences can purchase extra votes to decide which company rules comedy, tragedy, history, and the wild card round of the night – which player’s “to be or not to be” gives the most goosebumps. Ready, set, SHAKES! – Cat McCarrey
