Bard for all seasons at this Shakespeare festival

Brad Goda photos Left: Brent Yoshikami is King Leontes in "The Winter's Tale," which opens the Hawaii Shakespeare Festival today at Earle Ernst Lab Theatre. Center: Annie Lipscomb is the fairy queen Titania and Jason Kanda is the actor Bottom, whose head is transformed into that of a donkey, in "A Midsummer Night's Dream," beginning July 16. Right: Clint Okayama is Romeo and Michelle O'Malley is Juliet in Shakespeare's timeless tragedy. Hawaii Shakespeare Festival 2005 "The Winter's Tale," "Romeo and Juliet" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream" Earle Ernst Lab Theatre, University of Hawai'i-Manoa $18 general, $16 seniors and military, $14 group rate (10 or more tickets for one show), $10 students; season tickets are $42 550-8457, www.hawaiishakes.com

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"Winter into Summer" is the theme of the fourth annual Hawaii Shakespeare Festival, beginning today at Earle Ernst Lab Theatre. As in seasons past, the festival covers three of the Bard's works — this year, those are "The Winter's Tale," directed by R. Kevin Doyle; "Romeo and Juliet," directed by Tony Pisculli; and "A Midsummer Night's Dream," directed by Harry Wong III.

As Shakespeare didn't say, but might have, the plot's the thing:

"The Winter's Tale" begins tragically but ends in comedy. King Leontes, driven by imagined betrayal, banishes his infant daughter and destroys the rest of his family. Sixteen years later, the daughter, Perdita, who has been raised by a shepherd, is romanced by a prince, who cannot marry her unless she is of royal blood.

• 7:30 p.m. today, Saturday and July 8, 13 and 23; and 3:30 p.m. Sunday and July 9 and 24.

"Romeo and Juliet" is Shakespeare's much-read, much-filmed tale of love, revenge and death. Young Romeo and Juliet fall in love, only to find they are members of rival families, the Montagues and Capulets. Tragedy and some really lousy timing send the pair into literary heaven.

• 7:30 p.m. July 9, 15, 20-21 and 29; and 3:30 p.m. July 10, 16 and 30. Featuring live percussion by Damned Spot Drums.

"A Midsummer Night's Dream," one of Shakespeare's most popular comedies, mixes fantasy and humanity as the romantic intrigues of two couples (Hermia and Lysander and Helena and Demetrius) grow more complicated after they enter a forest where fairies rule. And then there's Puck, the mischievous sprite who dabbles in the fates of all.

• 7:30 p.m. July 16, 22, 27-28 and 30; and 3:30 p.m. July 17, 23 and 31.