Riverwalk Arts Festival
featuring

William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing

directed by Evan Hernandez

Riverwalk Park

September 11, 12, 13, 18, 19 & 20

Show Program

Hosted in partnership with Columbia Parks Department and Columbia Arts Council, Watershed Public Theatre presents Riverwalk Arts Festival, a FREE community event celebrating local arts and artists. Experience performances and displays by local artists, featuring nightly performances of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing.

Bring your own chair or blanket, pack a picnic or purchase food from local food trucks. Enjoy face painting (tips encouraged!), meet local artists and nonprofits, and experience outdoor theatre at Riverwalk Park!

6:00 pm Food trucks & vendors open
6:30 pm pre-show entertainment
7:30 pm Much Ado About Nothing performance

Suitable for all ages (rated G)

Run time: over 2 hours

Although admission is free, donations are encouraged to support the continuation of the Riverwalk Arts Festival. Limited VIP seating is available for WPT recurring donors. Donate today to support the event, or set up a recurring monthly donation to qualify for VIP seats.

Sense & Sensibility 

by Kate Hamill

based on the novel by Jane Austen

June 6, 7, 13, 14 at 7:00 pm

June 8 & 15 at 3:00 pm

Columbia Academy High School Auditorium

In this fun adaptation of the beloved Jane Austen novel, the Dashwood sisters – sensible Elinor and hypersensitive Marianne – have their lives turned upside down when their father passes away, leaving them penniless and with their reputations at stake. Together the women must learn to mix sense with sensibility to find happiness in a society where love is ruled by money. 

Show Program

Suitable for all ages (rated G)

Run time: over 2 hours

SENSE AND SENSIBILITY is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service collection. (www.dramatists.com)

Carousel

Music by Richard Rodgers
Book by Oscar Hammerstein II
October 18, 19, 25, 26 at 7:00 pm
October 20, 27 at 3:00 pm
Cherry Theater, Columbia State Community College

Billy Bigelow, a swaggering, carefree carnival barker, falls in love with and marries the sweet but naïve Julie Jordan in this stunning tale of hope and regret. Voted the best musical of the 20th century by Time Magazine, the classic story will be presented with a fresh perspective for modern audiences.
This show tackles heavy subject matter such as domestic violence, and Watershed Public Theatre’s production will handle these issues with respect and care for those who may face these challenges in the real world. With this production we hope to encourage a conversation and spread awareness by focusing on accountability and consequences for violent actions in a way that is unlike any CAROUSEL you have seen before.

Show Program

Suitable for most ages (rated PG)
Run time: over 2 hours

Based on Ferenc Molnar’s play “Liliom”
As adapted by Benjamin Glazer
Original choreography by Agnes de Mille
CAROUSEL is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization.
www.concordtheatricals.com

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

by William Shakespeare
Presented by the Artist’s Lab for Watershed Public Theatre
August 22, 23, 24, 29, 30, 31, 2024
7:30 pm
Riverwalk Park

William Shakespeare’s most beloved comedy comes to life in the natural setting of Columbia’s Riverwalk Park. Arrive early to reserve your spot on the lawn. Bring a blanket or chair, a picnic and experience a fantastical theatre as the sun sets!

Suitable for most ages (PG)
Approximate run time: under 2 hours
Admission is FREE, donations accepted