Photo via Facebook / Shakespeare in the Park Milwaukee
Shakespeare in the Park (SITP), a Milwaukee favorite presented by Optimist Theatre, proudly announced its 2023 summer production of the engagingly diverse play, Cymbeline. Following the tremendous success of its inaugural touring shows - A Midsummer Night’s Dream: The Lovers’ Tale in 2021 and Twelfth Night: Or, What She Will in 2022 - this year's staging of Cymbeline is set to entertain audiences across the greater Milwaukee area.
Slated to run from July 9 to August 13, SITP will bring Shakespeare's magic to various neighborhoods with a fully mobile set, staging 10 outdoor matinee performances. These locations include Alverno College, Forest Home Cemetery, the Marcus Performing Arts Center lawn, and a selection of parks including Washington, Humboldt, Sherman, Mitchell, Lincoln, Lake and King. All performances are free.
The popularity of SITP's previous touring productions has led to an overwhelming demand for seating, with capacities often being exceeded. Therefore, audiences are encouraged to attend early in the season and explore performances in different neighborhoods.
New for 2023, SITP's mobile set will display a specially designed 30-foot backdrop inspired by the medieval Book of Kells. The 15-panel set was meticulously designed and hand-drawn by Founding Artistic Director Ron Scot Fry, with the artwork scaled and printed locally.
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Optimist Theatre’s M.L. Cogar is set to direct Cymbeline, with veteran team member Melissa Wanke returning as stage manager. Cogar, renowned for her skill in adapting Shakespeare's works, has crafted a condensed version of the play, with a smaller cast portraying multiple roles.
Describing her unique approach to Cymbeline, Cogar said, "Our rendition begins as a dark fairy tale. It centers on characters and their relationships, allowing our eight-actor cast to tell this epic whirlwind of a story in 90 minutes and transform a dark fairy tale into the surprisingly modern comedy of the play's second half.”
Optimist executive director Susan Scot Fry supported Cogar's interpretation, “Cymbeline is not commonly produced. But by distilling and streamlining the storytelling, we turn this romantic-tragic-comic tale into an engaging journey. As M.L. Cogar says it best: ‘We don’t teach people to love Shakespeare. We make Shakespeare people can love.’”
Since its inception in 1993, Optimist Theatre has been dedicated to offering professional, live theatre to the public at no cost. Since launching the SITP initiative in 2010, it has reached an audience of over 25,000, employing over 300 Wisconsin-area actors, crew, suppliers, and vendors, primarily from the greater Milwaukee area.
Although all SITP shows are free to attend, cast and crew are compensated, thanks to generous donations from individuals who support the importance of Shakespeare in the Park – a valuable asset in Milwaukee's vibrant theatre community.
For more information about Shakespeare In The Park, visit the Optimist Theatre website.
