The comedy and tragedy of Shakespeare on stage
The 44th annual Shakespeare Festival at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus will celebrate the Bard Oct. 11-16 with performances of "Midsummer Night's Dream" and "Julius Caesar" by the National Players from Olney, Maryland.
National Players bring the magical characters of Shakespeare's comedy "A Midsummer Night's Dream" to life on stage during the annual festival at Penn State Fayette.
Hilarity ensues in 'Midsummer' when Puck (Marion Grey) transforms amateur thespian Nick Bottom (Beau Harris) into a donkey and then convinces the fairy queen Hippolyta to fall in love with Bottom.
Caesar struggles against his senators during an attack at the Capitol.
Calpurnia (Libby Barnard) warns her husband Caesar (Beau Harris) not to go to the Capitol for fear of catastrophic events in "Julius Caesar" on stage at Penn State Fayette from the National Players.
Marion Grey, a member of the National Players, plays Puck, a mischievous sprite from the mind of William Shakespeare.
44th Annual Shakespeare Festival at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus
Performance: ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ 2 p.m. Oct. 11 and 11 a.m. Oct. 13
Performance: ‘Julius Caesar’ 7 p.m. Oct. 12
Where: Maggie Hardy Magerko Auditorium in the Community Center
Admission: Free
Reservations: 724-430-4271
“Up and down. Up and down. I will lead them up and down. I am feared in field and town. Goblin lead them up and down,” are the words written by William Shakespeare for the character Puck in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” And it’s the favorite line actress Marion Grey delivers.
Grey plays Puck, the sprite and trickster in the Bard’s most mischievous comedy that throws unrequited lovers, warring fairies and amateur thespians into a mysterious forest where Puck is turned loose on them all, when a love potion gone wrong starts to confuse everyone.
As part of the National Players of Olney, Maryland, Grey will bring Puck to life on stage at the 44th Annual Shakespeare Festival at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, Oct. 11-13.
“I see Puck as a confident and strong creature who is sure of who she is,” Grey said. “She knows what she likes and she does that. I relate to Puck in a very physical manner. She loves to have fun and be free so a lot of her expression resides in her body and in her actions. She is so physically responsive and in her body it requires me to be present with her every performance.”
National Players tackles “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” with passion and politics. Exploring the contradictory notions of Shakespeare’s Athens, Puck is the key to understanding the difference between actions and words.
“Our production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream pays a special eye of attention to the women, ranging from Hippolyta to Puck. You witness, through their experiences on stage, their weaknesses, strengths and simply how they live and interact in the world around them,” said Grey.
A playful, comical farce and a fantastical world rolled into one play, ‘Midsummer’ will enthrall audiences of all ages according co-director Jason King Jones, artistic director of National Players.
“‘Midsummer’ began as a production outside in Maryland for families and audiences of all ages and it began with a family friendly approach,” said Jones. “The costumes are Edwardian and the show has echoes of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ or ‘Peter Pan’ and a whimsical flair, but all of Shakespeare’s words remain the same.”
The National Players performance of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will open the Shakespeare Festival at Penn State Fayette at 2 p.m. on Oct. 11. The troupe will reprise ‘Midsummer’ at an 11 a.m. performance on Oct. 13, closing the festival.
As part of the annual festival, the National Players will conduct a workshop, “The Actor’s Journey” at noon on Oct. 12.
Jones outlines the workshop’s efforts to help people speak text and embody the Bard’s characters.
“‘The Actors Journey’ is a specific Shakespeare workshop geared towards helping actors of any experience level whether you’ve done Shakespeare or not. Giving anybody some very clear specific tools to unlock the power in the text of Shakespeare and help people find the physical and vocal opportunities in the text. It’s an active workshop where we encourage people to participate,” said Jones.
Switching gears completely, at 7 p.m. on Oct. 12, the National Players will perform Shakespeare’s tragedy “Julius Caesar” at Penn State Fayette’s festival.
“Julius Caesar” chronicles the quick and chaotic plummet of one of history’s most significant men, followed by the ensuing violence which birthed western society. Staged by National Players for the first time in 15 years, this production begs the question, what happens when one man becomes greater than his nation?
Jones explains, ‘Caesar’ under the direction of National Players’ Colin Hovde, has a contemporary look and appeal.
“(Hovde’s) approach was very simple: 10 people telling the story of Julius Caesar and focusing on that ensemble of 10 people, essentially you see them on stage all the time. The space is modern and contemporary but all of Shakespeare’s words are unchanged. The clothing and scenes have a contemporary look. It’s a really compelling approach to the show,” Jones said.
And to fill in the history, Hovde added a prologue to explain Caesar the man, the leader.
“When Shakespeare wrote ‘Julius Caesar’ there was an understanding of the impact of him but today that’s not necessarily the case. So the prologue helps to understand the magnitude of him and why his downfall resonates with the people.”
The universal quality of Shakespeare’s work will always remain relevant, according to Jones.
“Shakespeare wrote about big things that happen to us on a personal or political level,” he said. “‘Caesar’ is the downfall of a beloved and popular leader, and the people who loved and fought with and for him but still thought that he was becoming too powerful for the good of the state. It examines the toppling of a world leader and the thought that a coupe would help heal the nation as opposed to leading to a civil war.”
Political and personal struggles that we see unfolding around the world today, Jones said, and the voices of those pronouncing solutions, makes ‘Caesar’ relevant and timeless.
Founded in 1969, National Players is America’s longest running classical touring company, staging productions that engage audiences and examine the intersection between great works of literature and contemporary life.
National Players are the educational wing of the Olney Theater, with a unified mission to present and educate the next generation of theater makers while engaging and exploring communities around the country and presenting extraordinary theater, Jones said.
“The favorite part of my job is to be able to share Shakespeare plays in a bold and dynamic way. I think he’s written some of the best stories in the western canon and in some of the best language. All playwrights after Shakespeare were influenced by him. He wrote just great characters with great stories,” said Jones.
For Grey, a Roanoke, Virginia native and recent graduate of James Madison University, the company and acting troupe is of great benefit to her craft.
“National Players is my first professional job out of college and I have already learned so much just in my first three months with the company. I believe that career wise, this job will influence and teach me more in the future with the advantage of hindsight, more than I can predict now, similar to college. But for now, I am learning patience both with myself and others. I have a year to explore and grow within these amazing characters I get to play, and I can be patient with myself when I get stuck or hit a wall. I have room to discover who these characters are,” Grey said.
Festival organizer Dr. Dennis Brestensky is again thrilled to have National Players be part of the event that he began at Penn State Fayette in 1972 when he was a faculty member with the school.
The festival offers a unique opportunity to see the classic works staged by professional performers, which is why Brestensky encourages families in the community to attend.
“People have a difficult time reading Shakespeare so I thought if students were exposed through performances maybe they would be converted. I think it is a great outreach for the community to see classical theater in Fayette County,” he said.
In addition, Brestensky said new this year to the festival is a third performance.
“We have added a Sunday matinee which is a new feature and I’m hoping it will be well accepted. There is a lot of opportunity now to attend and I’m hoping it boosts attendance,” he said.
All Penn State Fayette Shakespeare Festival events are free of charge and open to the public. They will take place at the Maggie Hardy Magerko Auditorium in the Community Center.
Although admission is free, Brestensky recommends reservations by calling 724-430-4271.