Midsummer and Me...

Several people have asked about my previous experience with this play, so I will take a moment to cover that now, as we recently discussed the character I love most in all of Shakespearedom - Titania. 

MIDSUMMER is a play that I am extremely familiar with, having performed in and directed multiple times.  I was first introduced to performance of it in college when, at the direction of Arthur Lithgow, I was cast as Titania. 

Later, just out of drama school, I played Hermia in a London production directed by Frank Hauser.  Soon after, I took over the role of Helena in the same production, as our Helena had to leave the production unexpectedly and I knew the role. 

A few years later, I directed a traveling, free street theatre production with the Shakespeare company I founded with two other drama schoolmates.  We toured that production throughout the south coast of England. 

 

In 1995, I founded W. Shakespeare & Co Theatre Company, a traveling Shakespeare company for teens and young adults that thrived until 2004, offering a full season of classics, childrens theatre, Shakespeare, a Repertory Company and a full educational program.  I directed our first production, A Midsummer Night's Dream in 1995.  We toured the performance throughout parks and other venues in the Dayton area that summer, with a three week sit down run at Carr Woods, in Englewood.  And, so began many subsequent years of my Summer Shakespeare Festival, Shakespeare in the Woods.  

 

 

In 2000, as part of The Shakespeare Centre's Millennium Link project (and WS&Co’s 5 year celebration), we remounted Midsummer as part of the 2000 Summer Shakespeare Festival -  Shakespeare in the Woods.  Once again, I was cast as Titania. 

 

As a theatre educator, I was also able to indulge in the play numerous times.  Honestly, I can’t remember a year in the last 27 of my teaching experience that the play wasn’t used in some way.  For example, WS&Co offered yearly Summer Camps, two of which utilized MIDSUMMER as the Production material for the performance workshop, which offered a one hour, shortened version of the play for an audience.  Also, during my time at Stiver’s School for the Arts, I directed and taught a Shakespeare performance workshop, at which MIDSUMMER was the play chosen for performance. 

Now, that is enough about me.   Get ready to show me who you are and who you can become as part of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT's DREAM.

Next Time - The Mechanicals