By DONNA KENNY KIRWAN

PAWTUCKET — It’s a midsummer night’s dream-come-true. Mixed Magic Theatre’s new outdoor performance venue at the Town Landing on Taft Street allows for performances of Shakespeare and other classic plays to be enjoyed by the river and under the stars.

This Saturday at 7 p.m., Mixed Magic will perform its first event at the Amphitheatre at Town Landing. Called “Magic Moments,” the show promises to be a spirited and festive production that showcases the talents and programs that have won Mixed Magic Theatre both community praise and critical acclaim.
The free performance is suitable for all ages. People are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets, and even a picnic lunch, according to Ricardo Pitts-Wiley, Mixed Magic’s artistic director.
Work has just been completed on the new amphitheater, which was built by Pitts-Wiley and designed by award-winning architect Morris Nathanson. A group of volunteers from Amos House helped with the construction. The city’s Department of Public Works contributed by providing electricity for the stage and will be bringing in removable bleachers for future performances.
The DPW workers also removed some old lumber and cleaned up the site, said Pitts-Wiley. “The city has been terrific. And a special ‘shout out’ to DPW Director Jack Carney, because he and his office have been very cooperative,” he stated.
Mixed Magic, now in its ninth year, is no stranger to outdoor theater. The performance group typically stages seasonal productions at the Veterans Amphitheater on Roosevelt Avenue. Pitts-Wiley says that this location is suitable for musical performances, but is too small for many dramatic efforts. He said he had approached Assistant Planning Director Barney Heath about finding another outside location, and Heath pointed him to the riverfront space at Taft Street.
Pitts-Wiley said that he and his wife, Bernadet, visited the site on numerous occasions to scope it out and monitor the traffic noise and other conditions. They will see how this season goes and then decide whether or not to make it a permanent summer home for Mixed Magic productions.
Pitts-Wiley said he has been personally involved in numerous outdoor theater productions, including at The Mount in Lenox, Mass., and in Westerly. For seven years, he and Bernadet also did outdoor theater at the North Kingstown Town Beach.
 “It’s so special when it happens and it happens well,” Pitts-Wiley stated. “Outdoor theatre promotes a different kind of community. Everybody is welcome. Get your chairs, bring a blanket, and bring your family.”
The official grand opening for the Amphitheatre at Town Landing will be Thursday, Aug. 13, when William Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors” will be presented at 8 p.m. Directed by Pitts-Wiley, this is the 9th annual “Bard on the Blackstone” production.
The performances will continue through Aug. 23, starting at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 7 p.m. on Sunday.
 “The Comedy of Errors” tells the story of two sets of identical twins that were accidentally separated at birth. Antipholus of Syracuse and his servant, Dromio of Syracuse, arrive in Ephesus, which turns out to be the home of their twin brothers, Antipholus of Ephesus and his servant, Dromio of Ephesus. When the Syracusans encounter the friends and families of their twins, a series of wild mishaps based on mistaken identities lead to wrongful beatings, a near-incestuous seduction, the arrest of Antipholus of Ephesus, and accusations of infidelity, theft, madness and possession.
As part of the upcoming Pawtucket Arts Festival, the Mixed Magic Exult Choir will present the second annual “Greatness of Gospel: Down by the Riverside” back at the Veterans Theatre on Roosevelt Avenue. Performances will be on Saturday, Aug. 29 and Sunday, Aug. 30, starting at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 for general admission and $5 for seniors and those age 12 and under.
Directed by Kimberly Morrison, the performances will bring together some of the area’s best gospel talent in a celebration of traditional and contemporary gospel music.
 “Hopefully, by next year, we will be able to tie both amphitheaters together to create an ‘Arts on the Blackstone River’ path,” Pitts-Wiley said.