FREE SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK
THANK YOU to everyone who made this production possible!
We look forward to bringing Shakespeare in the Park back to our community in 2024.
Photos by Tyler West. Stay tuned for more!
OUR MAGICAL CAST
Hippolyta: Heather Miller
Theseus: Carl Turpen
Philostrate: November Ashley
Egeus: Drew Tolley
Hermia: Joan Kathren
Helena: Afton Mahoney
Demetrius: Connor Johnson
Lysander: Derik Radcliffe
Newsgirl: Joanne Gropper
Quince/Prologue: Pia Jewett-Brown
Bottom/Pyramus: Annika Rose Rex
Flute/Thisbe: Damian Lewis
Snug/Lion: LeJune Haws
Snout/Wall: Mariah Greenaway
Starveling/Moonshine: Mary Gray
Titania: Samantha Weakley
Oberon: Deven Austin
Puck: Nathan Blanco
Fairy: Mary Gray
Cobweb: Cecelia Henley
Peaseblossom: November Ashley
Moth: Shannon Escobar
Mustardseed: Joanne Gropper
CREATIVE TEAM
Director, Set Design: Emily Richman
Dramaturgy: Cyndi Kimmel
Rehearsal Stage Manager: Katie Newman
Production Stage Manager: Ethan Gothhold
Assistant Stage Manager: Kaylan Ramirez
Costume Design: Tiffany Varker
Set Coordination: Eric Richman
Sound Coordinator: Justin Jones, Liz Fenstermaker
Lighting Coordinator: Alyssa Bonheyo
Original Music Written and Performed by Ronn Campbell
Sticker and Tattoo Design by Kendra Owens McCullough
Thank you to all of our wonderful Front of House volunteers!
Aimee Alexander, Mike Brown, Trent Brown, Audrey Grube, Jess Howard, Scott Howard, Troy Kasma, Ben Kimmel, Paula Kimmel, Tom Kimmel, Brendan Speer, Kate Walters
About the Play
by Cyndi Kimmel, Artistic Director of The Rude Mechanicals
Feuds, feelings, and fairies-oh my! A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a romantic comedy about young hearts who flee into the woods and unknowingly encounter the fairy world. Meanwhile, a rag-tag group of tradespeople rehearse a play for a royal wedding. Worlds collide, affections are manipulated, and someone may, or may not, turn into a donkey. Shakespeare’s language in Midsummer crafts three different (yet connected) circles of royalty, common folk, and fairies, creating a theatrical experience unlike any other.
Our production, set against the backdrop of 1935 West Virginia, mixes Appalachian history and folklore with Shakespeare’s text to form a magical, family-friendly show.
Short Synopsis:
(from a longer synopsis at www.shakespeare.org.uk): Four Athenians run away to the forest pursuing each other while Puck helps the fairy king play a trick on the fairy queen. In the end, magic is reversed, couples reconcile and marry, and the Rude Mechanicals put on a play in celebration.
Sinopsis de la Trama
Cuatro Atenienses huyeron al bosque persiguiendo uno al otro mientras Puck ayuda el rey de las fadas engañar la reina. Al final, magia esta reversado, los enamorantes están reconciliados and se casan, y la compañía teátrica las Rude Mecánicas, en celebración, hacer una obra de teatro.
Characters (from rsc.org.uk):
TITANIA: Queen of the Fairies and is married to Oberon.
OBERON: King of the Fairies and is married to Titania.
PUCK: also called Robin Goodfellow, is a fairy and Oberon’s servant.
COBWEB, MOTH, MUSTARDSEED, PEASEBLOSSOM: Fairies, attendants of Titania.
BOTTOM: a weaver in Athens. He is rehearsing to be in a play for the Duke’s wedding celebrations.
QUINCE, FLUTE, SNOUT, STARVELING: Workers and amateur actors putting on a play with Bottom.
DEMETRIUS: a gentleman of the court of Athens. He is in love with Hermia and Egeus wants them to marry.
HERMIA: daughter of Egeus and is in love with Lysander. Her best friend is Helena.
LYSANDER: a gentleman in the court of Athens. He is in love with Hermia.
HELENA: Hermia’s best friend. She is in love with Demetrius but he does not love her back anymore.
HIPPOLYTA: Queen of the Amazons
THESEUS: Duke of Athens and engaged to marry Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons
EGEUS: father of Hermia and a gentleman in the court of Athens
Personajes
Las Enamorantes
Hermia
Lysander
Helena
Demetrius
El Corte Real
Teseo, duque de Atenas
Hipólita, reina de las Amazonas
Egeo, padre de Hermia
Filóstrato, maestro de fiestas de Teseo
Las Mecánicas
Nick Bottom, tejedor
Peter Quince, carpintero
Francis Flute, componedor de los fuelles
Tom Snout, calderero
Snug, ensamblador
Robin Starveling, sastre
Las Hadas
Oberón, rey de las hadas
Titania, reina de las hadas
Puck, o Robin “Buen chico”, hada principal de Oberón
Una Hada, hada principal de Titania
Otras Hadas de Titania:
Peaseblossom
Cobweb
Mote
Mustardseed
This resource can be used in the following ways:
- To familiarize yourself with the language – along with Cyndi’s amazing primer on Shakespeare’s language!
- Try a read-aloud at home before you come to see the show!
- To follow along just before, or even during the performance; folks who are hard of hearing or have auditory processing challenges may particularly like this option.
Click here to read the English script!
Versión Español: El sueño de una noche de verano
Inside the Text: Shakespeare’s Clues: Rhythm and Wordplay*
by Cyndi Kimmel
Shakespeare’s use of rhythm and wordplay work together in helping the actor and audience understand the play’s plot, story, and character circumstance. When the actor pays attention to the rhythm and wordplay, they discover possibilities and make choices rooted in the text-which helps the audience understand what’s going on. Audience members can likewise explore how the text works, allowing for a more personally nuanced enjoyment of the play.
Click here to view this resource in a new tab.
A social story is a guide that describes what it’s like to participate in an event – in our case, outdoor theatre. It was a tool developed by educators who work with children on the Autism Spectrum, and it is now a common tool to enhance an experience for youth and adults alike with a variety of sensory and intellectual needs.
Click here for our social story about Free Shakespeare in the Park: A Midsummer Night’s Dream!
Thank you to the local businesses and organizations who partnered with us:
HOW SWEET IT IS
MOONSHOT BREWING Pub at the Park
Frost Me Sweet Bakery & Bistro
Ethos
