Island Shakespeare Festival: Bold Stroke for a Husband

The Island Shakespeare Festival brings you Hannah Cowley’s “Bold Stroke for a Husband.”  “Bold Stroke for a Husband” is an 18th-century comedy that tells the story of a woman, Agnes, who must use her wit and cunning to win back her estranged husband’s love. Along the way, she encounters numerous obstacles and comedic situations.  This play is part of a three-year partnership with Hedgepig Ensemble Theater’s EXPAND THE CANNON, which demands space in the classical canon for more diverse women playwrights.  It’s a curated list of classic plays by women and underrepresented genders and a call to action to produce them.  You can see the list here on the Hedgepig website.

The festival offers reserved and open, “pay what you will” seating in an open-air park-like atmosphere.  The festival features up-and-coming and professional actors from around the region and the country who come to Whidbey Island to hone their acting skills.

“Bold Stroke for a Husband” is presented this year along with the Shakespearean classic, “Romeo and Juliet,” directed by Olena Hodges.  It’s the timeless tale of love, passion, and tragedy that continues to captivate audiences today.

The plays are rotated so that you may see one on one night, and the other, the next night.  In addition, many Sundays in August and September will offer one as a matinee and the other as an evening performance.