Don't miss: Arboretum bard

For the eighth spring-summer, Shakespeare in the Arb featuring the Residential College Players has returned with "Two Gentlemen of Verona" through June 22 at the Nichols Arboretum.

The Residential College Players perform at 6:30 p.m. June 12-15 and 19-22 at Nichols Arboretum and at noon June 12 at the University Hospital courtyard. (Photo by David Smith)

Kate Mendeloff directs an enthusiastic gathering of students, faculty and alumni of the Residential College, in addition to students from the School of Music, Theatre & Dance and participants from the community.

Scenes take place all over the arboretum, leading the audience from one natural stage to another. The cast takes advantage of the sometimes challenging topography and extensive plant collections to make the staging seem like a natural fit — popping out of tall grass, climbing trees or rolling down hills to make the scenes come alive.

Audience members from previous years have remarked that the performances reveal places they'd never noticed before. These performances offer the audience a chance to enjoy the arboretum's late spring-early summer beauty.

The shows are performed from 6:30-9 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays through June 22. The box office opens at 5:30 p.m. at 1610 Washington Heights on show dates.

General admission tickets are $18, students $10 and Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum members $15. Dress for the weather, wear walking shoes and check the Web site for weather-related cancellations at mbgna.umich.edu.