News & Events
"All the World's a Stage," Including Montana
Communities of Valley West, Starling to host Shakespeare in the Parks
BOZEMAN, Mont. (May 13, 2008)—The Aspen Group, a leading investment and real estate development company with two master-planned communities in Montana, has signed on as a 2008 corporate sponsor and host of Montana Shakespeare in the Parks, an outreach program of Montana State University’s College of Arts and Architecture.
The developer’s master-planned communities of Valley West in Bozeman and Starling in Kalispell will play host to two of the summer’s free performances.
Meyers Park, the community centerpiece of Valley West, will set the stage for the production on July 26th. The public is invited to watch the live theatrical performance from their blankets and chairs scattered through the park’s lush landscaped open spaces, which surround a large lake, streams and trails.
The second performance is planned to take place on August 21st, at the site of The Aspen Group’s new 640-acre master-planned community of Starling —the first major master-planned community in Kalispell. With home sales not slated to begin sales until spring 2009, the Shakespeare in the Parks performance will give attendees a sneak peek at the future plans for the community.
“Programs like Shakespeare in the Parks give people exactly the kinds of family-friendly activities that we feel are essential to any great community,” says Greg Stratton, vice president of The Aspen Group and project manager for Valley West and Starling. “Shakespeare in the Parks is a great fit for us and is another illustration of how our communities go beyond being just a place people live and becoming a place where people come together.”
Considered one of the summer’s most anticipated attractions, Shakespeare in the Parks is now in its 36th season of providing professional outdoor entertainment throughout the region. Every performance, including those at Valley West and Starling, are free to the public thanks to the support of businesses and organizations like The Aspen Group.
“We are excited to have this opportunity to work with The Aspen Group,” says Joel Jahnke, MSIP Artistic Director. “Their commitment to provide our shared communities with a high quality of life that includes family entertainment is closely aligned with our tradition of creating high quality professional productions of Shakespeare’s plays that have been bringing families and neighbors together for many years, sharing a summer evening in Montana.”
For more information on The Aspen Group’s participation in the 2008 production of Shakespeare in the Parks, please call (406) 994-3901.
About The Aspen Group
Headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., The Aspen Group is a leading investment and real estate development company with projects and investments in Arizona, Montana, and California. For more information visit www.TheAspenGroup.com.
About Montana Shakespeare in the Parks
Since 1973, Montana Shakespeare in the Parks has been bringing free, professional productions to communities throughout Montana, northern Wyoming, eastern Idaho, and North Dakota. The primary educational outreach program of Montana State University’s College of Arts and Architecture, it is the only fully professional theater program in the state that produces Shakespearean plays. All Montana Shakespeare in the Parks performances are free to the public, ensuring that all are able to attend, regardless of income level or community size. For more information, please visit www.montana.edu/shakespeare.com
