The American Shakespeare Center's traveling troupe will make "A Midsummer Night's Dream" a reality for theatergoers in Texarkana this week.
This hilarious and imaginative tale of starry-eyed lovers, bumbling actors and fantastical fairies will have audience members of all ages believing in magic.
Since 2014, the ASC National Tour has visited Texarkana annually. The tour will return on Tuesday, Feb. 25, for another free performance at Texas High School's Sullivan Performing Arts Center. The doors will open and pre-show music will start at 7 p.m. The performance will follow at 7:30 p.m. The show is free to the public, but tickets are required.
Based in Staunton, Virginia, the ASC has been educating and entertaining audiences since 1988. In the past three decades, the ASC has reached countless theater-goers with performances at their own venue and 500 others across 46 states, one U.S. territory and five countries. Their twice-a-year national tours stretch from Maine to Texas, the most recent one covering over 15,000 miles. According to Artistic Director Ethan McSweeny, "Touring has been in ASC's DNA" since its founding.
One of the ASC's main goals is to be as true to the original intentions and staging of these works as possible. Instead of elaborate sets, the actors perform on a (nearly) bare stage, surrounded by the audience.
Rather than plunging the theater into darkness when the show starts, they leave the house lights up - a practice that gave birth to their cheeky slogan, "We do it with the lights on." This allows the performers to see as well as be seen, making it easier for them to interact with the crowd. Actor Sara Linares, who plays Hermia, says this interaction reinvigorates her - "I am often tired," she explained, "but when I get on stage and I see the faces and reactions of the individuals in the audience, especially younger ones, I am reminded that there is more than one way to teach about humanity."
Another fun feature of ASC productions is the pre-show music. Cast members gather onstage before the play begins to deliver an acoustic set comprised of modern favorites that fit the play's theme with unique, stripped-down arrangements. They also return to perform during intermission.
Although Shakespearean actors were typically all white males, this is where the ASC departs from tradition. They believe theater speaks to the collective human experience, so they cast actors of all ethnicities, appearances, body types and abilities. The ASC also favors doubling and cross-gender casting.
Their minimalist and highly immersive approach gives modern audiences a chance to experience theater just as it was in Shakespeare's time. Although they go beyond Shakespeare, choosing various other classic and new plays, the same staging conditions apply. It is their belief that staging modern classics and new plays in this style helps further bridge the gap between audience and players.
First published around 1596, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is a wild tale of love, magic and mayhem. One of the Bard's most popular and most performed works, the play has seen myriad adaptations in film, television and print. It has also inspired other plays, musicals, ballets and books, enjoying a long life on both stage and page.
"Midsummer" marked a change in Shakespeare's writing. Although many of his stylistic earmarks are present - mistaken identity, magic, reversal, dreams, mischief, etc. - it is different from his previous offerings. Unlike his first comedies, the characters are not merely vehicles for comedic gags. Although they are still very humorous, they possess a greater complexity and emotional depth, which makes them more relatable.
In today's social and cultural climate, shows like "A Midsummer Night's Dream" are important. Director Nathan Winkelstein explained that, while it is a fantasy, it is also warning about escapism. "Young people, frustrated by the dictates of authoritarian governance decide to subvert the system by fleeing to the woods," he said. In this case, the woods are a literal forest, but they are also a broad metaphor for escape. In the woods, "young lovers find wonder and laughter, but also chaos and fear," the director added. "They discover both that they miss the civilized life of Athens and that there is room for new beliefs - learned in the woods - to be integrated into society when argued for with clarity and good intentions." Winkelstein believes this is particularly relatable for modern audiences.
He also believes that sharing these works today is essential. "Theater, especially Shakespeare, invokes long-form discussion and imagination," he stated. He feels that both of these things are increasingly rare in the digital age. "If a play can remind an audience member that it is OK to dream, to think, to fall in love and to change one's mind," he continued, "that means the world to me."
Although the themes and messages in these works are universal, it can still be difficult to fully immerse oneself in a world so far removed from our own. To update this story, the company has made the setting a little closer to our own. In his directorial debut for the ASC, Winkelstein opted to base the fairy world in reality as opposed to going full fantasy. He explained that absolute belief in the supernatural was a staple of Elizabethan life, and they required a setting that made that belief accessible. A city notorious for its mystical and otherworldly atmosphere, 1930s New Orleans serves as the perfect backdrop for this story. He calls the city a "mental bridge" for today's theatergoers, a location that is familiar, yet retains its air of mystery.
Though he had initially considered setting the play in Athens, the choice became clear when he decided to emphasize music in this production. "The confluence of the musical styles and the magic of New Orleans' history was too difficult to pass up," Winkelstein said.
It is no wonder the UK Telegraph calls the ASC "one of the most accomplished Shakespeare companies in the United States." Join the ASC for a free evening of fun and fantasy.
(Free tickets for this performance will be available at the Texarkana Independent School District Administrative Offices at 4241 Summerhill Road between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., weekdays through Tuesday. Tickets can also be reserved via phone at 903-794-3651, ext. 1013, or via email at [email protected] to have them mailed directly.)