Clarion 2017 by Montana State University

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Photo by Kyra Ames

ADRIAN SANCHEZ-GONZALEZ

DEAR

Friends

45 SARY R E ANNIV TH

hat a year it’s been! This spring, thanks to a grant from the Michael J. Connell Foundation, we expanded our Montana Shakes! program by offering a week-long Midsummer Night’s Dream residency project in addition to our 60-school elementary 2017 school program, now in its ninth season. Our goal was to find new ways of bringing Shakespeare to life for our students by offering more extensive workshops along with an opportunity for these young students to rehearse and perform in their own production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. There are no words to describe the delight that comes over you when hearing Shakespeare’s language come to life with such confidence from the voice of a 1st grader. Their freedom and playfulness as storytellers is a reminder of how truly transformative Shakespeare can be, for all generations. For 45 years, the mission of Montana Shakespeare in the Parks has not just been grounded in the pursuit of bringing live free theatre to underserved communities. It also brings audience members of all generations together in the experience of enjoying live theater in local parks. The best part of my job is when I get to visit these parks and am able to witness the gathering of families and neighbors. I see young children with their parents and grandparents, enjoying a picnic in front of our stage, anxiously awaiting an actor’s first entrance. The smiles, laughter, and moments of surprise remind me why this mission is so important for all of our communities. It provides us with an opportunity of respite, and unites us in a moment of solidarity, both young and old.

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SEASON

This effort of bringing generations together begins with our Montana Shakes! program. Belting out the immortal words of the Bard might be that first grader’s first spark of enthusiasm and appreciation for live theatre. I like to imagine that she brings that excitement home, and over dinner talks to her parents about seeing a performance later in the summer. Over the course of this last year, we visited over 110 different schools with the Shakespeare in the Schools and Montana Shakes! programs. Our actors had the opportunity to work with over 20,000 students in the classroom and on stage. I believe the work of building and inspiring future audiences begins here with programs like Shakespeare in the Schools and Shakes. It is through an introduction to Shakespeare in the way he always intended — through live performance — that our younger audiences truly benefit from his relevant themes and timeless stories. This experience of engaging our future audiences continues to inspire us all at the office and motivates us to find new ways of providing the best possible audience experience for all generations. Springtime is when the collaborative spirit of our office is at its peak. We can’t wait to bring Macbeth and You Never Can Tell to life for you and your family! Whether this is your 45th season joining us, or your very first, enjoy the show!

KEVIN ASSELIN EXECUTIVE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, Montana Shakespeare in the Parks

Summer Tour

INTRODUCING THE 2017 MON TA NA

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GEORGE BERNARD SHAW’S

you K Never Can K Tell

M A C B EE TT H H TH 45 RSARY E V I ANN

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J O I N T H E C O N V E R S AT I O N ! #m si p 2 0 1 7 Montana Shakespeare in the Parks is a theatrical outreach program of Montana State University-Bozeman. The Company’s mission is to engage and enrich both rural and underserved communities with professional productions of Shakespeare and other classics and, through educational outreach, to inspire creative expression and appreciation of the arts in young audiences. The Clarion is published annually. MSIP - P.O. Box 174120, Bozeman, MT 59717

INTERVIEW WITH

The Directors

Asselin

KEVIN Why did you choose to tackle Macbeth in 2017?

It’s clear that the witches have been untouched by the natural disaster, and could have been responsible for the creation of this post-apocalyptic, natural disaster world.

If you could play any part in this play – male of female – who would it be, and why? Well, I’ve played Banquo and I’ve played Ross. I guess I’d really like an opportunity to play Macbeth. I see this character as an individual who has very tragic, but human flaws. He recognizes the mistakes that he makes throughout this play. This is not an individual that sets out to conquer the world. He’s an everyman who is faced with the powers of manipulation from external forces. I’d love an opportunity as an actor to investigate the very real human qualities that exist in his language and the struggle that he faces when dealing with the other individuals of the world, leaning on his regret, leaning on his angst.

M ACBETH

I was looking for a play that could complement a comedy to begin with, but also one that I could continue my interest in exploring Shakespeare’s relevancy to modern day issues — that could help bring Shakespeare’s stories to life in a new way. Macbeth offers a great opportunity to contrast with a comedic show, but it also serves as a vehicle to explore the issues of natural disasters, climate change, and how some of these issues relate to our audience: namely drought, high temperatures, forest fires. Macbeth is also a great story; I’m always interested in looking at new ways of bringing Shakespeare’s stories to light. There are some stereotypes assigned to this play that I’m interested in arguing against.

Like what? I think Macbeth is an “everyman character.” I don’t see him as a superhuman villain. I see his story as a true tragedy — what can happen to an individual when confronted with greed and the pursuit of power. These are human flaws — not just flaws assigned to a heroic individual. So I was really interested in looking at ways in which I could bring that to the forefront of our stage; then, balance that with the issues that arise when confronted with natural disasters and the way in which we grasp at sustainability — ways that will help to survive.

What kinds of parallels are you looking to draw between the forces of nature in the play and the forces of nature we see around us each day?

Definitely. I’m interested in exploring this world - where people are given the slightest glimpse of obtaining a more sustainable lifestyle. They grasp at success and do everything they can to elevate themselves. This exists in the world we live in today, but especially in this fictional postapocalyptic world. It goes without saying that there are many people who tragically make the decision to overstep traditional pathways to live a more luxurious lifestyle.

What kind of design elements will you implement to help tell this story? Tom Watson, the Scenic Designer, and I are looking into how we can add trees into not just the upper part of the stage, but how could we root trees into the deck of our stage — so that the trees are almost closer to the audience on the steps of the downstage side of the deck. On the upper part of the stage, we will see examples of how the people in this world have worked to create specific forms of shelter. Tom is working with unique imagery that will really help show nature in the foreground, helping to mask the human, more industrial world in the background. Scenically, it’s a blend of how a natural disaster can affect both nature and the industrial world. We talked a lot about referring to the woods that are just outside Missoula over by Frenchtown and Alberton. These characters have brought urban man-made materials from an urban environment like Missoula and brought them into the forest. The other story we’re trying to tell is that the natural disaster that has put people in this world is not something that has just recently happened. It’s clear that the disaster is over a century old and has allowed the people of the world to create order, structure, and a sense of community. It’s exciting working with Denise Massman, our Costume Designer. We’ve identified that these characters are grasping for any kind of material to help create their clothing. The play talks about independent communities and Denise is interested in seeing how we can reflect the individualism of these communities by giving them identifying articles of clothing or head dressing that they wear. This helps us understand the level of status. We’re looking at defining the nobility or elite with strategic use of color. ORANGE PHOTOGRAPHIE

With this idea of pursuit for power, I do think that it’s within our individual natures to strive for success and sustainability. I envision or imagine that in a post-apocalyptic world, society would be drastically changed. The individual human agenda would be shifted to the question of how to survive in a world where water is scarce, temperatures are unbearable, and where conflict surrounds us in many forms. Everyone must fight to survive in Macbeth — these clans that are at war with each other. The play is surrounded by war in which individuals are pursuing status and sustainability — power. Complementing that is the metaphysical nature of the three witches and how they are not only able to manipulate human nature, but also the natural world in which they exist. There are many different scenes that relate to chaos in the environmental world. The earth is almost rattled by the manipulative forces that exist within the witches’ agenda, and how that is causing human conflict. In this production, natural disaster is the bedrock for social disarray.

Does Lady Macbeth have the same human flaws?

This is MSIP’s 45th season. What kind of responsibility does that present for you and how do you strive to uphold MSIP’s traditions while also keeping things fresh?

The success from the company has always been founded or driven by the specific goals of connecting and engaging our audiences in unique ways. The event itself — bringing Shakespeare to underserved rural communities — is monumental. My goal has always been to maintain that specific mission without adding unnecessary elements or bells and whistles. I’d rather continually work to identify elements of our productions and our materials that could help enhance our overall aesthetic or professionalism. It’s a form that’s worked for 45 years, and it’s helped sustain our efforts in bringing families and communities together. I’m only interested in looking at ways in which we can continue to foster that mission. Tour coordinators are the conduit. They are our community connection. But the lifeblood of our success annually are the friendships that we have within our communities — with our audience. Such a large percentage of our budget is supported by the individuals that come out year after year to experience our productions in parks, this in turn helps support the life of our education programs. In the past, we’ve identified individuals who have helped to champion our mission in unique ways; whether they be large individual donors, corporate sponsors, or foundations. But when it’s all said and done, it’s the individuals and their families and their neighbors that keep us buoyant — that keep the mission alive. It sounds cheesy to say, but every season is dedicated to our audience. It’s worth highlighting how important they truly are to the life of our company.

Most readers will be familiar with the witches. Who are the witches to you and what do they represent in this play? Currently Denise Massman, Tom Watson, and Michael Brandt — the design team — and myself, are envisioning a world that is dusty, that is caked in ash — a world in which the materials, both for building and clothing are scarce. Therefore, the individuals — these characters in this post-apocalyptic society — are relying on Macbeth set design whatever they can find to create shelter, rendering by Tom Watson. clothing, supplies. Water is scarce, steel is in high demand, and all they know is a world of dirt and dust and ash. That’s represented in the scenic, costume, and props design. In contrast, the witches will appear not as grotesque figures, but examples of purity, almost angelically white in the spirit of elves. When Banquo and Macbeth walk upon the witches, the shock is not that they are heinous figures, but that they represent something that is to be completely opposite of what they have experienced living with. That gives meaning to the beginning of Banquo’s line, “What are these?” The Witches are of the natural world. They’re of the universe, you could say.

A LETTER FROM

The Dean

s Montana State University prepares its 125th anniversary celebrations, I wish to welcome you to another inspiring season of Montana Shakespeare in the Parks. For 45 years, this special program has served as the premiere outreach endeavor of the College of Arts and Architecture and has brought the eloquence and energy of Shakespeare to the State of Montana. We started our journey in 1973 by reaching 7 towns in Montana. In 2017, we will hit the road and meet 61 communities across five states — from Poker Jim Butte to Pocatello, from Bozeman to Beach (in North Dakota)! Through these engaging performances and a robust educational program with Shakespeare in the Schools and Montana Shakes!, Montana Shakespeare in the Parks performs an astounding 220 days out of every year. These efforts have ensured that Montanans have the highest Shakespeare literacy of any State in the Union, but they also serve as the platform for the future of our College as we think about how performance, theater, community and creativity can impact our dreams and goals. Enjoy!

ORH

LY G

KEL

DR. ROYCE W. SMITH DEAN, College of Arts & Architecture

CLARION Page 2

We pick our plays in response to each other. Kevin is doing a famous tragedy that’s dark and mysterious, and I felt like I wanted something that took us into the light. Any Shaw is going to do that. But this one is particularly smart, sexy, abrasive, and exciting. There will be great conversation, but it will be civil. Sounds nice, doesn’t it? With You Never Can Tell — it’s the sharpness of that conversation, the intellect, the exuberance of ideas among diametrically opposed individuals who still speak in complete sentences. It’s terribly funny and I think it’s as smart as any play he ever wrote. It was to some extent Shaw’s response to the The Importance of Being Earnest. He loved Earnest; but because Shaw is Shaw, there’s a logic to this play. His arguments are rooted in character. Parents and children. Men and women. Rich and poor. Old and young. They butt heads. They even get hurt. But they always listen.

M you K W I L L I ABrown Never Can K Tell

Why did you choose to direct You Never Can Tell this season?

as it were): all of them share an audience not much alike in any way except their excitement over theatre. Our audience is as smart and as game as any audience I work for. A theatre builds its audience and defines its audience. The 45-year tradition of MSIP has grown and evolved, but has never lost sight of the fact that you are who we’re doing it for and we are all in this together. Billings isn’t Birney. But it’s still an audience that has ownership over our theatre — our traveling theatre.

What is it about Shaw that works well for Montana audiences? The trick to doing any play in Montana is story, story, story. We have to focus people away from the guy playing frisbee with his dog. This story connects in a way that only the very best comedies do.

What kinds of skills were you looking for when casting the play? What do actors need for Shaw that is different from what they might need for Shakespeare? They need courage. They need honesty. They need a facility with language. And they need to be, at every moment, emotionally available. That’s what happens when you listen. Of course, all of that is essential for a cast doing Macbeth as well. But I can’t keep saying enough — it’s the funniest play. I made my acting debut at Court Theatre in Chicago with this play. I played Phil. Then I directed it out here in 1996. It might have been the first Shaw we did at MSIP. I think each of these plays (Macbeth and You Never Can Tell) is the antidote to each other. I think that’s great for everyone — actors, designers, and audience.

You started as an actor with the company in 1980. Do you ever miss going on tour? Yes. I miss the people you get to know and revisit on the tour. And the great beauty of this state. You’re coming back to something you know. Each community has its own character and its own bar and there’s a certain narrative that comes out of that. I guess I miss the stories that I’m no longer a part of.

You’re famous for telling actors on tour, “Sleep in September.” What other advice would you have for a new actor? “Sleep in September” is a way of saying, “Stay awake. Stay in the moment.” And that’s onstage and off. If you don’t bring it every night, if you’re not there 100%, someone in the company will tell you that to your face. It is a powerful ownership these actors have as well. You see the park filling up and you think, “This has got to be my best one.” It is the best kind of actor training — graduate-level actor training — because it teaches you to harness your gifts and every day go out there and say, “Hey, this is what we’re doing!”

You are an accomplished director who could work all year-round at much larger theaters than MSIP. What makes you come back?

Any parting thoughts? You Never Can Tell is about a bright, handsome slightly dysfunctional family at a seaside resort at the beginning of the 20th century. Beautiful clothes and did I say funny? It’s Downton Abbey but nobody dies. String all that together and it’s the perfect way to spend a lovely summer evening. That ain’t so bad.

I have several artistic homes. This is absolutely one of my homes. It’s the home… I’ll put it this way: I do a lot of theatre for rich people. Anybody who works in the theatre does. I’m not thrilled about that. Ticket prices are expensive at the bigger theatres and that means a lot of people don’t even think of going to the theatre. That is not what happens with Montana Shakespeare in the Parks. We are the circus come to town and everybody is invited. What I do here is important to my soul and important to everyone involved with this company. It’s a tough tour for the actors who do this. But no matter how tired and sweaty they are from traveling all day, then putting up the set and getting into costumes and wigs, they see you walking into the park and they know it’s important to you. We take this very seriously and we are rewarded beyond measure by your loving participation. It is blindingly clear in those moments that we all need each other. Seriously.

William Brown is the 2003 Chicagoan of the Year in Theater by the Chicago Tribune. You Never Can Tell set design rendering by Michael Salazar

Do you feel that connection with the audience as a director? I do. I couldn’t direct if I couldn’t connect with the audience. I mean, I direct this play and I go on to another play somewhere else. But I’m still on tour here in my head. It means so much to me. I’ll say this about the places I keep coming back to (my “homes,”

2017

Acting Company NATE CHEESEMAN Macbeth: Macbeth You Never Can Tell: Valentine

JOE FAIFER Macbeth: Duncan / Seyton / Porter / Murderer You Never Can Tell: Macomas

RIAN JARRELL Macbeth: Macduff You Never Can Tell: Mr. Crampton

MCKENNA KELLY-EIDING Macbeth: Witch #1 / Lady Macduff You Never Can Tell: Maid / Others

JESSE DORNAN Macbeth: Ross You Never Can Tell: Bohun

SASHA KOSTYRKO Macbeth: Witch #2 / Fleance / Doctor You Never Can Tell: Gloria

MILES DUFFEY Macbeth: Banquo / Siward / Murderer You Never Can Tell: Walter Boone

RILEY O'TOOLE Macbeth: Malcolm / Murderer / Guest You Never Can Tell: Phil

CHARLOTTE MAE ELLISON Macbeth: Witch #3 / Gentlewoman / Macduff’s Son You Never Can Tell: Dolly

AILA PECK Macbeth: Lady Macbeth You Never Can Tell: Mrs. Clandon

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CLARION

DRAMATURGICAL

Notes

MA C BET H A ND THE N I G H T MA RE OF TOM ORROW M

acbeth opens with turmoil — the countryside has been ravaged by battles and the natural world is in disarray. At every turn, in fact, the play presents us with the poisoned landscape of a human-generated nightmare. Meanwhile, the mysterious witches, or “weird sisters,” appear and disappear through storms, bubbles in the earth, and the “fog and filthy air.” Shakespeare grew up in the country, but by the time he wrote Macbeth in 1606, he had been living in London for nearly two decades. This urban experience must have served as a sometimes depressing contrast to the idyllic nature of his youth, for the city was indeed a filthy, polluted, and unnatural place in the early seventeenth century. By that time London had become the largest city in Europe; its population had quadrupled in just a few decades. The need for housing and businesses caused a demand for building materials, which resulted in a widespread denuding of the forests. In order to provide heat during what was also a “little ice age” in Europe, England increasingly relied on coal, which increased mining throughout the country and lung disease from breathing the air of coal fires, while acid rain destroyed many crops. There were also problems with the water supply in London, which prompted large-scale waterworks projects to bring a supply from the north, but this created pressure on the agricultural industry. Shakespeare, like many of his contemporaries, contemplated what it meant to be living at a time when human activity had outstripped what had previously seemed the limitless resources of nature. His earlier plays, especially the comedies, tended to celebrate the green world, suggesting that nature is a place to which one can retreat and be made whole again. Later in his career, however, the plays allude much more consistently to the perils of practices such as deforestation, over-grazing, and mining, offering little hope for a restorative cure through a retreat to the woods. Instead, the “blasted heaths” are devoid of trees or other shelter, leaving humans exposed to howling winds and horrendous storms. In Macbeth, Shakespeare explores the relationship between tyranny and environmental destruction. As the Macbeths commit murder, nature itself groans: there are earthquakes and fires in the fetid air, while animals scream with terror and even eat each other. Everything that might be natural or generative is taken away, for as Macbeth rises to power Scotland becomes a nation in which children are murdered and the people are dying from famine. Macbeth’s desperation knows no bounds, and in his obsession to know more from the witches he disregards everything. When he meets them for the second time, he vows that even if the treasure of nature itself collapses and becomes sick and sterile, he must know.

B Y GRETCH EN E. MINTON, PH .D.

The witches are shadowy beings who can see the future — a powerful skill anywhere, but especially poignant in a play that is uniquely focused on time. Macbeth is Shakespeare’s shortest tragedy, compact and driving quickly toward its apotheosis. Everything seems to happen in an instant, without any chance for the characters to reflect upon the consequences of their decisions. As the diametrical opposite of Hamlet, Macbeth thinks little and defines himself according to actions that drive him onward; his philosophy is epitomized by his belief that if one is already steeped in blood, it is better to go forward rather than to turn back. Yet as he marches toward his own damnation, Macbeth also destroys everything around him. The barrenness of his Scotland, echoed by the barrenness of the Macbeths as a couple, points to the ways in which he has done irreparable damage to his country, leaving no hope for future generations. It would be a mistake, however, to assume that Macbeth is an isolated instance of such behavior in the play. He is a product of a violent, martial society who was rewarded for his destructive capabilities. Even Malcolm, the savior of Scotland who is associated with a kinder, more organic approach to governance and stewardship of the country, orders his soldiers to rip branches from trees in order to storm Dunsinane’s castle, suggesting that perhaps such cycles of environmental exploitation will continue. Macbeth’s consistent and dense references to nature were enabled by Shakespeare’s dual perspective as someone who grew up in a rural area but had been living in an over-crowded city. He was also a master of overlaying different time periods, setting his play in an eleventh-century Scotland Macbeth costume that simultaneously suggested seventeenth-century England. The renderings by focus of this tragedy is not limited to the past and present, however, Denise Massman. for the witches prophesy about the future. Lady Macbeth is driven insane in her desire to understand what will happen “beyond this ignorant present,” and when she dies, Macbeth is left to famously reflect upon a “tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow” that leads to a barren and pointless death that signifies nothing. We are also poised to ask what our tomorrows will bring, especially as questions about human impact upon the earth become increasingly vital. Through the murky air of the present we attempt to look to the future, fearing that we are making our world less livable and wondering what society would look like if it collapsed under the strain of environmental catastrophe. In the world of Macbeth, people are thirsty, “aweary of the sun,” and lost in the “dire combustion.” Such language provides strong metaphors throughout the play, but metaphors in Shakespeare have a way of suggesting literal, and frightening, possibilities.

YOU NE V ER C A N TEL L : SHAW ' S S HAK E S P E AR E AN P LAY Y

ou Never Can Tell. The title sounds almost Shakespearean, recalling comedies such as As You Like It and Much Ado about Nothing. Shaw’s play also features twins, a seaside setting, a family separated and then reunited, mistaken identities, and abundant coincidences — all the mainstays of Shakespearean comedies. It might seem surprising to think of Shaw imitating such plays, given his famous animosity toward his predecessor: “There is no eminent writer… whom I despise so entirely as I despise Shakespeare.” Despite his scathing rhetoric, however, Shaw’s attitude was certainly more nuanced. The comic waiter in You Never Can Tell is named Walter, but most of the characters call him William because he apparently resembles Shakespeare. In the role of the subservient, but clever and resourceful servant, “William” Boon is the play’s philosopher, giving voice to the title phrase in his assurances that everything will probably work out, as it always does in comedy, because “you never can tell.” This play, which Shaw wrote in the mid-1890s, is a romantic comedy, but in true Shavian form, it is not merely light or frivolous, but deals with important social issues. Shaw was reacting against a strong nineteenth — century tradition of presenting “well-made” plays, which involved formulaic plots, intrigues, sudden revelations, and a miraculous unraveling at the end. He employs some of these standard devices in You Never Can Tell, but does so in a way that both makes the play entertaining and causes the audience to question the implications of such conventions. You Never Can Tell features a strong female character, Mrs. Clarendon, who left her husband 18 years earlier and moved away from England in order to raise her children to be independent and free-thinking. Meanwhile, she has become a sort of celebrity by writing a series of treatises about social issues in the (soon-to-arrive) twentieth century. Mrs. Clarendon is a model of what was known as the “new woman” — an emerging class of women who were educated and independent, pursuing their own careers and seeking equality in relationships. The woman who coined this term, Sarah Grand, also wrote a novel called Heavenly Twins which looked at the notorious double-standard about male and female promiscuity and questioned whether marriage could be an equitable arrangement. Heavenly Twins was the inspiration for Shaw’s twins in You Never Can Tell, Dolly and Phil.

Shaw was interested in “the woman question” as a social and ethical issue, and thus it is one of the major themes of this play. Gloria, the eldest of Mrs. Clarendon’s children, is headstrong and independent, but she cannot reconcile these values with her undeniable attraction to the rakish dentist Mr. Valentine, who is both charming and a sort of gold-digger. Mr. Bohun, a successful lawyer and the son of the waiter, is asked about the suitability of this match and responds with the dark statement that “all matches are unwise. It’s unwise to be born; it’s unwise to be married; it’s unwise to live; and it’s unwise to die.” Yet this pessimism is tempered in the play by the sense that, imperfect as it is, marriage is still the natural end for most people. Just as the twins Dolly and Phil complete one another’s sentences, Gloria and Valentine are destined to complete one another’s lives. Like other dramatists of his day, especially Ibsen, Shaw thought that literature should deal seriously with social issues, psychological realism, and character motivations. Yet even though he believed that art should be didactic, Shaw managed to find a balance between entertainment and social critique. You Never Can Tell is thus hilarious, especially in its employment of witty dialogue. It also ends with carnival spirit, featuring a ball with masked characters that recall the sheer exuberance of commedia dell’arte. The festive ending, Shaw assured his audiences, was not antithetical to his goals; he wrote that “far from taking an unsympathetic view of the popular preference for fun, fashionable dresses, a little music, and even an expensive air, attended by an if — possible — comic waiter, I was more than willing to show that the drama can humanize these things as easily as they, in the wrong hands, can dehumanize the drama.” The human story is central to Shaw’s art, and such a resonance made the play popular early in the twentieth century. Even here in Montana students at the normal college in Dillon performed an all-female production of You Never Can Tell in 1911. One review commended You Never Can Tell costume the actress who carried out the role of Mrs. Clarendon renderings by Claudia Boddy. “with a certain abandon and freedom.” Only three years later, women received the right to vote in Montana, so it’s clear how relevant the role of the “new woman” was for these young, educated performers of Shaw’s play. In 1928, a professional company on a transcontinental tour presented Shaw’s comedies, starring the British actor Baliol Holloway. The advertisement for You Never Can Tell at the Judith Theatre in Lewistown promised that this play would feature “Sparkling comedy, London dresses, lovely girls, lots of laughter and fun.” Our production can promise the same delights, as well as the same pressing questions about the relationship between the sexes and the different social attitudes from generation to generation. The unexpected mixture of ideas, frivolity, social critique, and vivacity is bound to be as you like it. I mean, you never can tell…

Dr. Minton is the Dramaturg for Montana Shakespeare in the Parks and is a Professor of English at Montana State University

CLARION Page 4

EDUCATIONAL

Outreach

When summer is over, MSIP goes back to school — or schools as the case may be. Did you know that MSIP reaches over 110 schools K-12 between October and May each year with its educational programming?

H AM LET S H AK E S P E AR E IN T HE S C H O O LS

N 2016, MSIP brought Hamlet to its Shakespeare in the Schools audience for the first time. Directed by William Brown and starring Ty Fanning as the melancholy Dane, Hamlet was wellreceived by teachers and students alike.

"We live a rural, poverty-stricken area. For many of our students, this production was their first experience with live theater — and what a treat it was! For me, it is so wonderful to be able to share theater with those who have never experienced it, and to hope that it will some how shape their lives for the better." TEACHER COLUMBIA FALLS HIGH SCHOOL, COLUMBIA FALLS

"I love to see the wonderful performances of professional actors in our tiny little town. Our town has nothing interesting except a movie theatre and Shakespeare in the Schools." STUDENT SWEET GRASS COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL BIG TIMBER

"It’s great to know that there are programs out there that are keeping arts alive in schools and getting kids engaged in something artistic and different."

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Ty Fanning played the title character. Hamlet and Ophelia, played by Tyler Meredith. Faith Servant plays steadfast friend Rosencrantz trying to understand Hamlet's angst. Hamlet and Laertes played by Brett Garett duel. Stephanie Chavara as Gertrude.

STUDENT LONE PEAK HIGH SCHOOL

PHOTOS BY ORANGE PHOTOGRAPHIE

BIG SKY, MT

SHAKESPEARE IN THE SCHOOLS 2017 – T WELF TH NI G H T

Students in Reed Point enjoy a craft workshop brought by Montana Shakes!

Director Marti Lyons

MONTANA S HA K E S !

ince 2008, Montana’s youngest students have had a chance to experience Shakespeare in performance along with their older peers. Montana Shakes! brings an original play that features scenes, stories, and characters from Shakespeare to 60 schools in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho between February and May. This highly participatory performance makes students first encounter with Shakespeare understandable, engaging, and FUN! The performance is followed by tailor-made workshops for different age levels that drive home the themes of the play they’ve just seen.

his fall Shakespeare in the Schools, MSIP’s middle and high school touring program, will celebrate its 25th anniversary of bringing professional productions of Shakespeare and related theatrical workshops to students in Montana, Wyoming, and Washington. This fall, acclaimed Chicago-based director Marti Lyons will direct Twelfth Night, making it relevant to our audience. According to Lyons, “I think 6th to 12th graders are in the midst of an essential time of growth, understanding, and self-acceptance. One of the many themes in this play is falling in love with one’s nature — more than their form or status. Only while identities are hidden may a truer self emerge. I imagine many middle and high school can relate to trying to hide oneself only to find truest friendship or love in those who see through such obfuscation to one’s essential self and love that self unconditionally.”

R ES I D EN CY P RO GR A M

BECOME PA RT OF M ONTANA ’ S FAVO R I T E SUMMERTIM E TR A D I T I O N !

ontana Shakespeare in the Parks’ performances are a summertime favorite of communities large and small — but it takes all of us working together to keep MSIP on the road. Since 1973, MSIP has relied on grassroots support to ensure our ability to keep performances free to audiences. There are several ways you can help MSIP continue to offer great performances, including: • Pledge your monthly support or make a one-time gift at: www.shakespeareintheparks.org

• Join the Artistic Director’s Circle by making an annual contribution of $1,000 or more, and receive special insider news updates and invitations to exclusive events. • Make a Planned Gift by including MSIP in your estate or other planned gift vehicle, such as a charitable remainder trust. For more information about giving to MSIP, please contact Development Director Michael Wainwright at 406-994-3944 or michael.wainwright@montana.edu

Elementary students from Petra Academy put on their own Shakespeare performance during this year's brand-new residency program.

hanks to a grant from the Michael J. Connell Foundation, a one-week elementary school residency program was piloted in the spring of 2017. Led by veteran actor-teachers Stephanie Chavara, Miles Duffey, and Brett Garett, Montana Shakes! put students in their own version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the course of a week. Along the way, they learned about script and character analysis, how plays are staged, costuming, and more! The crew visited Petra Academy in Bozeman, Springhill School in Belgrade, and collaborated with the University of Idaho on a spring break theatre camp in Moscow, ID.

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SPECIAL

Events

ELI S E E V E N T

Join us on Saturday, November 11, 2017, for the 16th Annual Elise Event.

ounded by Elise Donohue and sustained by her children Sam and Elise Phares, the Elise Event showcases our middle and high school tour and provides necessary funding for this vital program. The event includes wine; heavy hors d’oeuvres and desserts; and a rare chance to see Shakespeare in the Schools’ production of Twelfth Night. If music be the food of love, play on! Tickets are $40 and can be reserved by calling Michael Wainwright at 406.994.3944 or by visiting cactusrecords.net.

Faith Servant as Rosencrantz.

Elise Donhoe's daugther Elise, Kevin Asselin, and son Sam introduce the Event.

PHOTOS BY ORANGE PHOTOGRAPHIE Brett Garett entertains a few guests. A couple of happy guests excited to see the show.

Sam Phares gives an introduction at the Elise Event.

W ELCOME N EW STAFF!

Michael Wainwright

Kaurie Albert

Ben Barker (Henrik) comforts Rebecca Hurd (Anne).

Anna Neikirk

2016-17 brought three new staff members to Shakespeare in the Parks. MICHAEL WAINWRIGHT came on board in September as the Director of Development having most recently worked at American Prairie Reserve. He also served on the board of Intermountain Opera Bozeman. KAURIE ALBERT joined in September 2016 as the Production Assistant. She’s a graduate of Whitworth University and spent a year teaching English in Germany before joining the MSIP staff. ANNA NEIKIRK joined us in January as our new Production Manager. Anna graduated from University of Louisville and most recently worked with the Actors Theatre of Louisville and the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival. Welcome Michael, Kaurie, and Anna!

Intermountain Opera favorite Sean Anderson (Carl-Magnus) with Susan Miller (Charlotte).

PHOTOS BY BRUCE & KIMBERLIE JODAR / WILDEYE PHOTGRAPHY

STA FF KEVIN ASSELIN

Executive Artistic Director

A LITTLE NI G H T M U S I C

or the third year in a row, Intermountain Opera Bozeman and Montana Shakespeare in the Parks collaborated on a professional musical theater piece. The two companies opened A Little Night Music on February 10, 2017 and the production was a remarkable artistic success. Featuring a combination of out-oftown guest artists and local talent and directed by Kevin Asselin, Night Music waltzed its way into the hearts of our audience. Stay tuned for an announcement on MSIP’s offering for the winter of 2018!

Kristie Dale Sanders (Desirée) and Dan Sharkey (Fredrik).

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SUSAN MILLER Managing Director

BROOKE MONROE Business Manager

KAURIE ALBERT Production Assistant

ANNE NEIKIRK Production Manager

MICHAEL WAINWRIGHT Director of Development

TOM DELGADO Technical Director

Actor-Teacher Stephanie Chavara and Business Manager Brooke Monroe share a moment in the MSiP office.

2017 TOUR

Coordinators

HOBSON-UTICA Pat Fredrickson Hobson-Utica Fine Arts Council

GLENDIVE Bruce Russell Friends of Makoshika

LEWISTOWN Linda Tullis Lewistown Art Center

FORSYTH Susan Wolfe Forsyth Friends of Shakespeare POWELL, WY Steve Schrepferman Park County Arts Council CODY, WY Steve Schrepferman Park County Arts Council WORLAND, WY Cheryl Reichelt Washakie Museum and Cultural Center SHERIDAN, WY Richard Davis Tandem Productions

CONRAD Wayne Reynolds Pondera Arts Council MALTA Anna LaBrie The Shrew Crew WOLF POINT Mike MacDonald Wolf Point Shakespeare in the Park SIDNEY Leann Pelvit MonDak Heritage Center EKALAKA Cindy Quade & Valerie O’Connell Sagebrush Service Club MILES CITY Karla Lund American Association of University WomenMiles City Branch BEACH, ND Wade and Deb Walworth Cedar Liquors COLSTRIP Rick Harbin Colstrip Parks and Recreation District BIRNEY Kelsey Walton Bards of Birney HARDIN Janie Morissette Community of Hardin COLUMBUS Robert Smith Stillwater Shakespeare Society ABSAROKEE Shirley Schatz Absaroka Fine Arts RED LODGE Sue Logan Carbon County Arts Guild ROUNDUP Bill Milton Roundup Arts and Culture Committee

BILLINGS Melonie Trang Billings Parks, Recreation Public Lands Department SILVER-GATE/COOKE CITY Bobbi Dempsey/Donna Rowland Colter Pass, Cooke City, Silver Gate Community Council BIG TIMBER Kathleen Agnew Sweet Grass Arts Alliance DILLON Christina Peltier The University of Montana Western School of Outreach & Southwest Montana Arts Council THAYNE, WY Marnie Lemon Star Valley Arts Council DRIGGS, ID Stacy B Downtown Driggs Community Association POCATELLO, ID Mark Neiwirth Pocatello Arts Council, ISU Cultural Events Committee WEST YELLOWSTONE Carrie Pope West Yellowstone Foundation TOWNSEND Shanna Scheible Townsend Area Chamber of Commerce

LAUREL Jean Kerr Laurel Shakespeare in the Parks CHICO HOT SPRINGS Ching Ling Coleman & Colin Davis Chico Hot Springs

LIBERTY LAKE ,WA Laura Frank Friends of Pavillion Park SANDPOINT, ID Christine Holbert Lost Horse Press

BOULDER Karen Davidson Boulder Arts Council FT. BENTON Karyn Giles Shakespeare in the Parks Fort Benton SWEET PEA Kris Olenicki Sweet Pea Festival

LIBBY Eileen Carney Rotary Club of Kootenai Valley

HELENA Mary Lee Larison Helena Committee for Shakespeare in the Parks CHOTEAU Devonna McCartney SALMON, ID Terri Farber Salmon Arts Council DEER LODGE Sandy Pettey Powell County Museum and Arts Foundation ST. IGNATIUS Caroline Myrhe Ninepipes Arts Group CHARLO Caroline Myrhe Ninepipe Arts Group ANACONDA Mary Johnston Friends of the Hearst Free Library HAMILTON Dominic Farrenkopf Sapphire Lutheran Homes SUPERIOR Jim Goss Mineral County Performing Arts Council (MCPAC) PLAINS Glenda Wolverton Plains Woman’s Club TROUT CREEK Liz Wormwood Trout Creek Community Improvement Association

EUREKA Rita Collins Sunburst Community Service Foundation SEELEY LAKE Carol Evans Alpine Artisans, Inc. CUT BANK Juanita Meeks Cut Bank Area Chamber of Commerce GREAT FALLS Kay Silk Shakespeare in Great Falls 2016 WHITEHALL Jan Thorne Whitehall Chamber of Commerce BUTTE Bob Lazzari Butte Parks and Recreastion MANHATTAN Becky Clements Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce BOZEMAN Amanda Tebay MSU Family and Graduate Housing BIG SKY Brian Hurlbut Arts Council of Big Sky LIVINGSTON Sally O’Connor The Shane Lalani Center for the Arts BELGRADE Susan Caldwell City of Belgrade MISSOULA Adrianne Donald University of Montana, University Center

2017 TOUR