Embedded Files
A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream
June 2026 – We somehow pulled this off with only a few weeks of in-person rehearsals, which were all very spread out. We had 4-5 intense rehearsals every 10 weeks, and although we ultimately had more practices than we ever had in the past, the long gaps of time in between each one was definitely a trial. Actors worked to build strong ties with one another in their smaller groups (Fairies, Lovers, Mechanicals, and Royals), before we moved on to growing a deeper relationship as a whole cast.
Highlights, Insights, and Tidbits
Most of our crew members only came to one rehearsal outside of tech week!
The original plan had been for several actors to reprise the roles they had in a high school production of Midsummer. In the end, only Hermia and Lysander were reprises (they were 14 and 15 when they did their first show)!
We were pushing the deadlines this year... The fairies learned their final dance less than a month before the performance; we finished sewing all of the chitans on Wednesday of tech week; we also needed to alter some of the sandals, and this was finished a few hours before our Friday performance.
Hermia and Helena were actually childhood friends since 3 and 4 years old. They used to pretend they were twins, which was their own version of being a "double-cherry."
Bethany drilled the actors in character work this year!
Demetrius was put SO into character that Lysander asked Bethany to "put him back"! The boys were also childhood friends, and they had a great time fighting with each other onstage.
The Mechanicals were made made to wrestle each other. This was to establish a brotherly relationship between them and to get the male actors to treat their female co-stars as boys!
The Comedy of Errors
The Comedy of Errors
August 2025 - We had a fabulous weekend of performances! This year had a slightly smaller cast of 15 actors, but we made up for that with 6 backstage hands. Hand-to-hand combat proved to be nearly (but not quite) as difficult as fencing, and the actors were great sports – and very patient – when it came to fight choreography.
Highlights, Insights, and Tidbits
The twin actors helped choreograph their fights.
Antipholus of Ephesus had the idea to use a scarf for the rope so he wouldn't injure his Dromio when he beat him with it.
The director was in the lights/sound booth for tech rehearsal, so the actors had an invisible Angelo (whose lines came from a mysterious source over the speakers).
We were forced to find a new venue about 3 weeks before the performance!
The twins were the last roles cast. The boys each read for all four roles in all possible combinations before the director finally made up her mind!
Ironically, the shipwreck was one of the most humorous scenes to rehearse! Actors had to squat and walk onstage behind the blanket-water, Dromio of Ephesus was inside the rock, and tying the baby dolls to the masts was a very difficult task!
Hamlet
Hamlet
August 2024 - We braved a power outage during tech rehearsal and our first day of performances! Everyone survived (astonishingly), and many actors returned the next year! The show was originally going to be performed in 2023, but we lacked sufficient actors, so it was put off for another year.
Highlights, Insights, and Tidbits
Nobody mentioned the heat during tech week (we were all suffering together, so there was no use complaining about it)! It was truly impressive how professional the actors and crew members were!
Hamlet had actually taken fencing lessons, so he choreographed the final duel.
One of the two costume designers had never seen the script!
Ophelia was a talented seamstress, and she sewed her own costume!
Due to a couple casting rearrangements and the need for understudies, some actors only had 3 weeks of rehearsal!
During the last week leading up to the show, actors hosted random script read-throughs at their homes for whoever wanted the extra practice.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse