Local Theatre Company Ventures Outdoors For Unique Shakespeare Presentation

Not bound by stage, audiences are getting a chance to experience Shakespeare in a unique way.

Debuting on Friday, August 22nd, Korda Artistic Productions will present a two-week run of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Presented in collaboration with the Fogolar Furlan Club of Windsor, the latter’s venue (located at 1800 North Service Road) will provide an outdoor backdrop for the show,inks.

Venturing outside the theatre company’s own doors, it’s a partnership that benefits everyone.

“[Fogolar Furlan] reached out to Korda,” said director Jeremy Burke. “I had been itching to do an outdoor Shakespeare project with the hopes of starting a Shakespeare in the park in Windsor. When I started talking about it, word got to members of the Korda Board, who mentioned Fogolar Furlan had reached out about hosting theatre on their grounds. That mutual interest is where the meetings started. From there, I’d say we have been in communication about the project since as early as last July.”

With love and dirty laundry in the air, the Duke’s wedding is approaching in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Finding out she must marry Demetrius or face grave consequences, Hermia runs away into the forest with Lysander (the man she wants to marry) instead. After Hermia’s friend Helena tells Demetrius (whom she happens to love) about the elopement, the four lovers soon end up wandering the woods.

Meanwhile, in the forest, the fairy king Oberon and the fairy queen Titania are arguing as always. To teach Oberon a lesson, the latter sends her fairy trickster Puck to find a flower with love potion-like effects to make the king fall in love with something grotesque. This inevitably leaves the queen and Puck entangled in the lovers’ mess: With mixed results, the four attempt to use the flower to make each pair fall for their corresponding objects of affection.

On top of that, a group of well intentioned workers from the city meet in the same forest to rehearse a play. It’s at this point Puck stumbles across them and the “ass” he hopes to make Oberon love.

Needless to say, it’s a story that benefits from the outdoor venue’s strengths.

“For me, the most exciting aspect was that we could do this show outside in the open air, under the sun and moon,” said Burke. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream takes place in a forest as the sun sets and the moon comes out, so it couldn’t be more perfect! People will be able to follow these characters as they really do run through the tree line, hide in bushes and the moon and stars come out above.”

Featuring visual motifs and story beats tied to wedding receptions, the Fogolar Furlan also allowed Korda to make the play immersive in other ways. With a high quality restaurant and scenic patio area, the theatre company wanted to incorporate these elements from the start. Giving audiences a full “night out” experience, cocktails based on the show will also be available with the meal and production.

As A Midsummer Night’s Dream approached, Burke was Busy directing The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals. Because of this, the upcoming play was cast without holding auditions. Knowing there would be a fast turn around between both shows, he instead asked people he trusted to learn lines early and be ready to adapt. In addition, the director also leaned on those he was excited to work with and looking to delve deeper into Shakespeare.

Knowing the outdoor venue would require a lot during rehearsals, Burke found a good mix of actors who could think and adapt quickly.

“There are Shakespeare purists who may dislike it, but I often believe in a delivery of Shakespeare’s texts that is more modern and accessible in its sensibility,” he said. “I’m overjoyed to have a mix of Shakespeare veteran actors and actors who are more familiar with modern works to keep that dynamic interpretation flowing. It is, after all, being performed for today’s audience.”

Starting rehearsals in late June, focus immediately shifted to exploring who each character was and the specifics of their relationships. As a large part of the play revolves around young love, connections and airing dirty laundry, questions asked included how did Hermia meet Lysander, how long have the girls known Demetrius, what has kept Hermia and Helena friends for so long, and how often do Titania and Oberon fight? This exploration laid the groundwork for what would be covered as the rehearsal process continued.

Moving on from there, importance was then placed on what the game was in each moment along with character desires in different scenes. Looking to make the production playful and full of joy when necessary, Burke looked to elevate several moments through the framing of a game being played between two people.

Beyond this, the venue also presented its own unique challenge: Not being in a typical theatre environment, the director and cast would require a different approach for the open air space.

“I made it clear early in the process that this would be a ‘looser’ show,” said Burke. “The specifics of where exactly you are standing ‘on stage’ is less important than the premise of the scene and the character’s intentions. On a stage, I can say ‘kneel downstage right’ and we will spike it so that the spotlight hits you.” That’s not really a possibility, nor is it necessary in the open air. We can’t rely on a full grid of lights. We can’t rely on a consistent, controlled space. We don’t know if it will be a little windy or dewy or if there will be birds singing. That is both very exciting, live and something that we are trusting in the actors to embrace and adjust to each performance. Outdoor theatre reminds me of the liveness and day to day alterations that make theatre so individual.”

Another challenge was more unexpected, however. Unfortunately for Burke, actors he could trust to play Bottom were unavailable. This meant the director had no choice but to step in front of audiences and take the role himself. Not recommending anyone do the same, it resulted in a sharp and fast adjustment for scenes where he was part of the show.

Even so, Burke was able to rely on cast and other support to make up for what he couldn’t do.

“I’ve always made efforts to be a director who collaborates with their casts and asks for input,” he said. “I now had to crank that collaboration up. The scenes with the rude mechanicals (a group of working people attempting to put on a play for the Duke’s wedding) were directed with a lot of back and forth between the cast members. They became more like a series of experiments with trial and error to discover organically what worked best. Additionally, in any scene where I am on stage, I have less of an idea visually from the perspective of the audience. So I must rely more heavily on storytelling through the interpersonal agreement and disagreement and character-based reactions. I was also so happy to have intimacy director Rebecca Lashmar look at a lot of scenes in the play, some of them with myself in them. That extra pair of eyes, so trained in storytelling, was an amazing boost to help with the specific moments that had to pop — that and the build we needed to get to them.”

With everything now coming together, the director thinks it’s the perfect play for people familiar and unfamiliar with Shakespeare to come out and enjoy.

“There are so many great things about Midsummer Night’s Dream,” said Burke. “I love it so much, but maybe the most essential thing about it in this instance is that it is so very accessible. It has magic and fairies, just as it has rom-com love and betrayal AND its funny. Shakespeare plays can be vastly different, but Midsummer takes a lot of the things that work in his other plays and presents it in a very youthful, colourful, even rebellious package. If there is a Shakespeare play to drink wine in the woods with, to laugh and dance with, it’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

A Midsummer Night’s Dream will be held at the Fogolar Furlan on August 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 28th, 29th, and 30th. Evening meals will start at 6:30pm with the play beginning at 8:00pm — the Sunday matinee on August 24th will begin with a meal at 12:30pm  before a 2:00pm showtime. Admission is $50 or $20 for those looking to attend only the play (taxes not included.) Tickets can be purchased online or at the door.

Offering so much in a unique package, Burke thinks it’s worth going all out for.

“Maybe I’m biased, but I think there are countless reasons to see this one,” he said. “On a practical level, $50 for a full-length show, a quality buffet dinner and wine is a rare ticket worth snagging. To be able to take in a play on beautiful wooded grounds with a glass of wine, all in the city limits of Windsor is a treat. There is nothing better to end summer with than this show. Work has been put into ensuring that it is funny, dynamic, and full of joy. If you’re worried about Shakespeare being dull, we are gearing up to show you how much we can sharpen it.”