Photo by A.J. Magoon
Summit Players Theatre - Shakespeare in the State Parks
Ogunde Snelling Jr, Emma Knott, Maya Danks and King Hang in Summit Players' 'Much Ado About Nothing'
Summertime is the best time to get outside in Wisconsin, particularly if you’re interested in visiting state parks. But there’s an opportunity to take in a traditionally indoor activity outdoors as well: Shakespeare in the State Parks.
In this case, it’s Summit Players Theatre touring the state with its 2022 production of the comedy, Much Ado About Nothing. The plot revolves around two couples dealing with courtship while juggling mistaken identities, revenge, and the humorous mayhem that ensues. (You know, the typical relationship stuff).
And to ensure maximum enjoyment of the outdoors, director Maureen Kilmurry has condensed the Bard’s work to just 75 minutes (no intermission), plenty of time to still hike and take in the natural surroundings.
“Shakespeare can be performed anywhere, and that's something we want to make clear with our productions. There are plenty of places outside of the state parks, even your own backyard, that you can perform in,” says SPT Executive Director A.J. Magoon. “One of the best ways to enjoy Shakespeare in the state parks is to make it one part of a bigger, incredible day.”
Another benefit of the SPT production is that is free. And to help newcomers and novices in better understanding the work ahead of seeing the show, SPT offers 45-minute educational workshops which explore the storyline, the characters and the play’s main themes.
“The goal of the workshop is ... to make the play even more understandable and enjoyable, but also to explore who Shakespeare was, how he wrote and how his plays still apply to our present day,” Magoon explains. “It's all highly interactive, with games, activities and acting exercises that make it easy to follow along. The goal is to make learning about the show as fun as watching the show itself.”
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And while another goal is to entertain the audience, the cast has experienced their own unintended “fun” while performing outdoors over the years. Magoon recounts one particularly “memorable moment” during the troupe’s inaugural season in 2015 while performing A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Devil’s Lake State Park in Baraboo.
“Hannah Klapperich-Mueller (a SPT co-founder and the first executive director), playing Helena, was performing a speech to the audience,” he recalls. “And as she got to the line ‘I am as ugly as a bear,’ a young girl in the front row shouted out, ‘No you're not!’ Performing for kids is one of the best parts of this job. They’re so radically honest and they make for fantastic audience members.”
SPT’s Shakespeare in the State Parks is designed for audiences of all ages. And they even find a way to perform regardless of the weather, taking shows indoors to nature centers, picnic shelters, wherever they can clearly determined to fulfill the adage, “the show must go on,” even if it’s indoors at times.
And the collaboration with the state parks system is another way in these times that we live in to bring people back together again while enjoying the arts. Adds Magoon: “We hope people will see their nearby state parks as community gathering spaces, places where they can learn, where they can enjoy the arts and where they can grow.”
Live performances of Much Ado About Nothing will be staged in Wisconsin state parks through Aug. 20. For more information, visit: summitplayerstheatre.com.
