Every fall semester Bowie’s Starlight Theatre Company(STC) produces two to three plays about 45 minutes long each, and every other year the selection of plays are from William Shakespeare’s large collection of work.
The last cycle of Shakespeare at Bowie was in 2022, the STC performed Macbeth, directed by Marco Bazan, and Midsummer Night’s Dream, directed by Matthew Humphrey. This fall, the company is doing another cycle of Shakespeare including Twelfth Night, Hamlet, and another showing of Midsummer Night’s Dream, this time directed by new theater teacher and director Kade Lasseigne. Many people are debating whether repeating Midsummer two cycles in a row is a beneficial choice for the company.
I believe repeating Midsummer Night’s Dream at Bowie offers a positive experience and learning opportunities to all actors, technicians, and collaborators working on the three Shakespeare plays.
The STC is an educational theatre program, meaning the productions chosen are meant to offer students some kind of teaching opportunity. Therefore, the repetition of Midsummer should not be seen negatively, because it offers the chance to compare and contrast between productions. Personally, as an actor, having the opportunity to see the same script performed by different people under different direction is very beneficial. This allows people to think about why different actors make different choices and expand an individual’s knowledge in theatre.
The most recent times the STC has performed Midsummer were set in different periods. When Matthew Humphrey directed in 2022 he set the play in the 1960s and many of the characters took inspiration from hippies, while Kade Lasseigne is taking the majority of his inspiration from the 2010s.
Though they directed the same play, the productions appear very differently, meaning anyone who saw the production of Midsummer in 2022’ could watch Lasseigne’s production and see an almost entirely different show. Especially considering that not only are the inspirations different but the script has been edited by the individual directors. This means that some moments lost in the 2022 production, the audience now has the ability to enjoy.
Additionally, the students who were in Midsummer in 22’ were underclassmen, but those students are now upperclassmen. Students who have already been in Midsummer have more experience and opportunities to be in larger roles this year. Even though there may be students who would not want to be in the same show again, there may also be students who want another chance to play a larger role in the production.
Regarding students who had an aversion to being in Midsummer Night’s Dream for a second time, the directors considered this while casting. When students signed up to audition, they were asked if they had been in Midsummer and their previous role as well. The director’s consideration allows anyone to participate in fall shows and not be part of a production they may have an aversion to. This gives every actor more opportunity to work on a show they want to, therefore avoiding people feeling like they couldn’t audition for the 24’ fall shows.
Even with all these positive aspects to the repetition of Midsummer Night’s Dream, it is understandable why some students might be upset. This is not only the second time Midsummer has been done by the Starlight Theatre Company. In fact, in the past ten years which would be five cycles of Shakespeare, Midsummer has been performed three times and a few more times earlier in Bowie history. Considering how large Shakespeare’s collection of plays is, many people would expect to see more variety among the productions chosen.
Still, the reasons previously listed outweigh student criticism about the recurring production of Midsummer Night’s Dream. Repeating this play helps students improve as actors, technicians, and more because of the variety of opportunities provided during the process
