Actors Ensemble is the longest-running theatre organization in Berkeley, founded in 1957.  This year we were proud to produce 2 wonderful productions at the John Hinkel Park Amphitheater, Cymbeline and The Taming of the Shrew, and partnered with Nate Presents to produce an innovative No Exit in the cozy confines of LaVal's Subterranean, We want to wish you Happy Holidays and thank you for a wonderful 2025!

By William Shakespeare
Directed by Jay Manley with Jane Goodwin
Saturdays and Sundays August 16 - 31 plus Labor day Sept 1st. , 4PM
John Hinkel Park Amphitheater
Reservations | Read More | Photos | Directions | Program

Show dates are Saturdays and Sundays August 16 - 31 plus Labor Day Monday, September 1st, performed in the beautiful outdoor setting of the John Hinkel Park Amphitheater, 41 Somerset Pl, Berkeley, CA 94707, all at 4 pm.

Here’s a review of the article “Berkeley’s John Hinkel Park is a ‘dream world, green world’ for theater and nature lovers” by Nathan Dalton, published October 1, 2025, in Berkeleyside.

Nathan Dalton’s Berkeleyside feature captures the layered life of John Hinkel Park, where art, history, and community intersect beneath Berkeley’s redwoods. The 4.2-acre park, gifted to the city in 1919 by banker John Hinkel, remains both “a natural space” and a stage for local creativity. Dalton opens with a vivid tableau: children playing, parents chatting, and a troupe rehearsing The Taming of the Shrew at the stone amphitheater — an image that defines the park’s balance of play and performance.

The Taming of the Shrew was reviewed by Emily S. Mendel for CultureVulture Website.  For a quote from the review and a link to the article click on "continue reading.