Back into the woods...

 After over two months off the stage (and the rehearsal and run period of another Shakespeare show underway), here we are... Back together again, to restage the show for the summer performance at The Springfield Arts Festival. 

It was great to see the cast, working together to get this show back on stage for the summer performance.  Luckily, I get to join the cast as Titania for this performance, but am finding the blocking (and rock climbing) somewhat challenging with my still healing broken foot.  Having said that, I am looking forward to getting back on an outdoor stage.





  We shall be welcoming a couple of new faces to our ensemble and I can assure you that this show, though essentially the same, will be a little bit different in the restaging.  More to come, as we move ahead with rehearsals!! 

Thursday, July 5, 2012 - 8:00 PM
Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
Presented by Springfield StageWorks

Shakespeare's most popular comedy has delighted audiences for centuries. This Springfield Stageworks production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Lisa Howard Welch, brings Puck, Bottom, Oberon, and all the others to the stage to sort out their love-torn lives. And when the tale of Pyramus and Thisbe is presented, you'll discover why the Bard still keeps people laughing in 2012! 

Admission: FREE! (Donations accepted at intermission)
www.springfieldstageworks.org

Nearly there...

This will be a quickie--

We are well into Tech week... costumes are going in, lights and sound are headed in at the end of the week and the actors are more than ready... Just a little tired and playful this week.  

Here is the Early Rehearsal Trailer!  Created by Anthony Chiles.

Last week was eventful, as I broke my foot backstage.  Literally, breaking a leg (well, a foot) for my show.  Supposed to be off it for 6 weeks, but the show makes that impossible and as when I am in production, that is the most important thing to me...  My cast and crew are working extremely hard to make things so much easier on me... As are my friends and family, who have definitely gone out of their way to make sure I can get done what I need (particularly a director friend who has his own competing show to worry about.)   Without these people, this show would have halted.  Because of this injury, I do not get to jump in and play Hippolyta on understudy night... I was actually looking forward to this, as it was the only female character in MIDSUMMER I have not yet played!  Ah well...

Now, for the cast and crew update!  There have been a few changes and alterations as the cast has grown and developed...

Director - Lisa Howard-Welch
Assistant Directors - Kelly Bennington & Mary Sullivan
Directing Intern - Katie Paeg
Production Assistant - Abby Reisenger
Stage Managers - Juliet Howard-Welch, Kelly Bennington, Abby Reisenger
Costumer - Roberta Stocker
Sound - Larry Coressel
Fight Director - Josh Katawick
Set Design - Geoffrey Moss
Choreography - Lisa Howard-Welch
Fight Captain - Austin Smith
Dance Captain - Kelly Bennington
Photographer - Lisa Bernheim
Light Board - Chris Stevens


Theseus - John Fredland
Hippolyta / Titania U/S - Kelly Bennington
Hippolyta U/S - Michelle Graham
Puck - Josh Katawick
Titania - Rebecca Baker
Oberon - Bengt Gregory-Brown
Hermia - Jacinda Bridger
Lysandra - Chelsea Carey
Helena - Judy Shaw
Demetrius - Austin Smith
Bottom - Daniel Wilson'
Quince - Connie Strait
First Fairy - Abby Reisenger / Juliet Howard-Welch
Snout / Moth/ Ensemble  - Lisa Bernheim
Cobweb -  Katie Paeg
Starvling - Adam Hardy
Flute - Patrick Taylor
Snug - James Michael Fazio
Sprites - Xander Gregory-Brown, Kenny Neal
Changeling - Silas Neal
Ensemble - Jon Dowler, Ralf Paeg,  Mary Sullivan


That's it for now!

Love wooed by the sword...

As we move closer to the 2 week mark (until auditions), we shall round out our look at the characters of A Midsummer Night's Dream with a quickie view of some of the other mortals -- Theseus, Hippolyta, Egeus, town folk and  Attendants and the direction I will be heading with them. 

It is not likely that I will use the same actors for Theseus and Hippolyta / Titania and Oberon.  That has been one of the most asked questions... strangely.  I hope to create a slightly more immersive atmosphere, where characters truly exist, move around and appear in scenes they may not have been given lines in.There will be some connective scenes and activity where Theseus, Hippolyta, Egeus and the town folk appear and live an everyday life.  Therefore, I really would like to keep Theseus and Hippolyta available for that -- and not rushing around costume changes.  There will be playful banter and movement throughout the show, and I need a very strong ensemble to handle that!  

 

 Additionally, we will explore a little mythology and Greek history as part of our character development and table work, and incorporate that right into our production.  We will not be ruled by the myth, but allow it to enhance characterization.  Yes, we are keeping our 'world' in Athens -- with a tiny alteration... 

 

Theseus and Hippolyta are two very accomplished and passionate individuals.  Both strong physically, they do have a little emotional fragility, which they will show on occasion.  Both heroes in their own right, they have distinct personality strength and very powerful opinions. 

 

After all, Theseus took out a Minotaur and Hippolyta comes from the land that brought us Wonder Woman... 

Seriously though, these two characters will do battle in a number of ways on stage... 

As for Egeus, Hermia's father (or mother), he / she  will be full of pomposity, pretense and all other aspects of obnoxious 'not-quite-aristocracy' society.  As you might expect, I will also ask for a bit of humanity to be thrown in for good measure. The Townspeople and attendants will also be an integral part of scene movement, any dance work we do and of course adding to the playfulness of each scene and transition. I will want all sorts of characters represented, so there is a lot of scope for character development.  

From a country strawberry picking picnic to a full country Regency wedding to a Ball... all of it will be represented in this production.  In my opinion, the Ensemble looks like a lot of fun to be a part of!  I may have to participate in it one night!

Over the next 16 days, I will be posting about what to expect at auditions, what to expect from me as a director, what I want to see from you at auditions and some basic information about the final product (show.)  

Stay tuned...

No epilogue, I pray you; for your play needs no excuse...

One of my favourite aspects of the play, undoubtedly comes in the form of Shakespeare's 'Rude Mechanicals'; the group of locals who come together to create and present a performance for the wedding celebration of the great Duke Theseus and his love, Hippolyta.  From the start, this group of simple folk offer much amusement, silliness and merriment.  Each scene is beautifully crafted to show us the comic simplicity in this world of common country folk.  

Because we are setting the action of our production within a specific period of history, we will be adapting the types of characters from the Regency period to fit within Shakespeare's world of the play.  There will be some gender switching and there will be scope for some great character work by the actors cast in the show.  Each one of these wonderful personalities has a life beyond the scenes they appear in and we will work to develop and create these.  I am expecting to have the most fun working on these scenes during the rehearsal period!

In auditions, I will be looking for hints of character personality within each actor...  A little clue to alert me of the potential within that actor.  Of course, I will be looking for touches of realism and humanity as well as comic ability.  I will also be considering the usual actor ethic and technique.  Now for those who are only reading the character specific posts, I will repeat a portion of my last couple of posts.   I am looking to create a production that will...

"...address many facets of each of these characters, without falling back on the stereotype of actor portrayals gone by...  I have already been asked many times about the actor requirements and technique structure I am looking for in the actors looking to play one of these roles. For the record, stereotypes, egos and short sightedness have no place in one of my productions.  

WHAT I AM LOOKING FOR - THIS PRODUCTION and the ACTORS
Of course, as always, I am looking for strong basic technique with clear, articulate voices and confident, motivated movement.  Not necessarily trained, seasoned actors, but artists with the pliability to be molded, taught, opened up to new concepts. Actors with a strong and professional work ethic, willing to look beyond what other actors have done before in other productions.  I will be looking for actor chemistry within couples, groups, and the cast, as a whole.

I want a fresh approach to these characters and a new look at the possibilities, without threatening Shakespeare's original intent.   Yes, we are setting in the Regency period and in doing so, I would like to look at the challenges that these characters faced, with a realistic approach -- it wasn't all cream tea and balls, now was it?  Of course, I would love to bring a little modernity into the production, as well..."

CLUES to the Mechanicals IN THIS PRODUCTION
I do have very specific ideas for each of these characters... these will develop as rehearsal progresses, and I am not intending to give away every single conceptual idea I have planned.  But, what I can tell you is that I will be looking for actors AND actresses who can embody these characters, without falling back on the stereotype of past productions. 

Now, like the posts for the Lovers and Fairies, let's look at 10 quick little clues about these characters and what I will be looking for...

1. Quince is definitely the 'Director' of this little venture and I will likely cast a woman in this role.  
2. The only Mechanical roles I am SET on to cast as male are BOTTOM and FLUTE.  All others will be open to women and men equally.  
3. We will keep their professions the same as written, but look into the historical period to find acceptable alterations for each,.
4. If I could describe my vision of each character in 3 words or phrases, they would be defined as follows:     BOTTOM - Pompous,  Lives above his means, overdramatic, know it all; FLUTE - Simple, young, idealizes Bottom; SNUG - Simple, lack of confidence, but essentially very smart; QUINCE - Controller, Manipulator, Like a kindergarten teacher with Bottom; SNOUT - Stoic, easily annoyed, simple; STARVLING - perfectionist, a bit 'poncey', pretentious.
5. Look into the English Regency period (particularly 1810-1820)
6. Explore Britain's colonization of India
7. The 'Tragedie' will definitely be quite a 'colorful' drama, set in the style of one of the colony's own performance styles
8. Some of the Mechanicals will be of slightly higher economic status than others, who will be more gypsy-like 
9. The world of Jane Austen should become an 'old friend.
10. There will be a lot of scope for actor input within the concept

  Now, take a little time to digest these things... Soak up some information on the Regency period (roughly 1810 to 1820) and look for more to come!

 Next Time - A quick little look into the Greek aspects of the play, as well as the Amazonian Queen, the Duke, the ensemble and more....

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

Come on girls.... get ready to fight

Well, to start off the fun, let's take a look at this interesting little video...

 JAFC Video

Those interested in auditioning for Helena or Hermia should take note...

Also, take a look at the official facebook event page for additional information, or to let us know you are coming to audition!

Midsummer Auditions Event Page



AND... keep your eyes open for additional little tidbits once my current show has finished in November.