Tag Archives: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Shakespeare in the Park at River Market tonight

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AST_logoThe River Market and The Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau are pleased to announce their second seasonal showing of “Shakespeare in the Park”, a production of a special version of the Bard’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream, on Sunday, June 23rd in the East Pavilion of Ottenheimer Market Hall, home to the Farmers’ Market.  The production runs from 6pm to 7pm.  Ticket prices are $7 for adults and $5 for kids 12 and under.

The production is created by the Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre.  It was adapted and directed by Josh Rice.  The other members of the creative team include Debra P. Holmes (scenery and puppets), Nikki Webster (costumes), Evan Harney (sound) and Chad Bradford (musical score).  The cast includes Joe Boersma, Adam Frank, Ira Grace, Jordy Neill and Julie Schroll.

 

About A Midsummer Night’s Dream:
Shakespeare’s band of hempen homespuns have run amok and taken over this midsummer night. In a new adaptation of Shakespeare’s comedy of magic and mayhem, Bottom and the Rude Mechanicals take center stage as they do their best to put on a show full of tragical mirth while mischievous woodland fairies do their best to get in the way. Audiences of all ages will enjoy the merriment that ensues.

On Shakespeare’s birthday, a look at Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre events

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AST_logoToday is the traditionally accepted birthday of the Bard of Avon.  He also died on this date in 1616 at the age of 52.  The Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre has an event later this week and is preparing for the 2013 season.  In honor of William Shakespeare’s birthday, today’s entry looks at some upcoming AST events.

On Wednesday, April 24, Robert Quinlan, who directed Richard III last season for AST, will speak in the Brewer-Hegeman Conference Center on the UCA campus (next to Reynolds Performance Hall) at 7 p.m. about his particular process and explorations involved in directing Shakespeare.  The event is sponsored by the UCA Foundation.

Quinlan is a freelance director based in Chicago. His other recent directing credits include the world premiere of The Magic Bicycle, #thisrocks, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Illusion, Iphigenia, Other Daughters, 44 Plays for 44 Presidents, and Killer Joe.

He was the assistant director to Tina Landau on productions of Superior Donuts on Broadway and The Tempest at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Internationally, he has directed The Maids and Proof at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore. He holds an MFA in directing from Illinois State University.

The 2013 Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre season will open on June 6 with a production of Much ado About Nothing.  The other productions this summer, which will alternate in rotating repertory, are Oliver!, King Lear and a special one-hour version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.