Midsommer Flight is now on Twitter!
Follow @MidsommerFlight and keep an eye out for show information, more fun Shakespeare tidbits, and behind-the-scenes peeks at our production process this summer.
The Curtain, Lost and Found
Just because Shakespeare died almost 400 years ago doesn’t mean there isn’t anything new to discover! Archaeologists in London have discovered the remains of the Curtain Theatre, where the Lord Chamberlain’s Men first performed some of Shakespeare’s plays before the troupe took up residence at the Globe Theatre a few years later.
You can read the whole article and watch the BBC news segment here:
Shakespeare’s Curtain Theatre remains found
Now if only someone would uncover the lost manuscript of Cardenio…
Test Your Midsummer Knowledge
Now that we’ve announced that we’ll be doing A Midsummer Night’s Dream this summer, it’s time to test how well you know the play. Even for those who are familiar with the play, this quiz might have you scratching your head on a few questions. Good luck!
Announcing our Inaugural Production
Big news here at Midsommer Flight!
This August, we will be producing our inaugural production: William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
As you’ve surely guessed given the name of this company, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a favorite here at Midsommer Flight. The play is the inspiration for our tag line (Shared joy. Flights of fancy.) because it exemplifies perfectly the fun that we aim to have with every theatrical experience. Simply put, it is impossible not to have fun during A Midsummer Night’s Dream. We are thrilled and excited to spend our summer playing with the great characters, hysterical scenes, and gorgeous language of this delightful play!
We are still finalizing the exact dates and location of the performances. Please check back frequently, as we hope to have more big news coming soon!
Now That’s Dedication
Today we stumbled across a Shakespeare blog that is both impressive and inspiring! The author of the blog, Bill Barclay, is billed on the site as an actor, director, composer and sound designer. Clearly, he is also a Shakespeare lover: he has undertaken the endeavor to read ALL of Shakespeare’ s plays, out loud, in public, all by himself. Now, here at Midsommer Flight we get excited by any outdoor Shakespeare — and Bill’s project is an example of extreme dedication to the work!
A recent post on the site suggests that Bill’s worldwide presentation of the plays is on temporary hold while he pursues an opportunity at the Globe in London, but there is plenty of content to explore until he gets back to it.
Enjoy!
Year of Shakespeare
Did you know that 2012 is the Year of Shakespeare? Apparently it is! According to the website, Year of Shakespeare is “a project documenting the World Shakespeare Festival, the greatest celebration of Shakespeare the world has ever seen.”
I especially recommend listening to the 3-minute audio track on the Year of Shakespeare “About” page for more context on what this project is all about. Check out the link below and join the discussion!
Today’s Cool Thing: Original Pronunciation
In America, we are used to hearing Shakespearean text performed in an “unaccented” American dialect, otherwise known as Stage Standard. While most American theatre-makers (Midsommer Flight included) accept this practice and believe the text will be more truthful and resonant if spoken in the actor’s own, un-affected dialect, some Americans do still prefer British Received Pronunciation (aka RP) as the “real” or “correct” way to pronounce Shakespearean text.
But do you know about Original Pronunciation? In fact, the language pronounced on Elizabethan stages sounded far different from the modern RP we are used to hearing today. The dialect sounded much closer to some hybrid form of Scottish. You could even argue, with it’s harder edges and over-pronounced R’s, that OP was closer to a modern American accent than a modern British one. At the very least, it seems safe to say that RP is no more the “right” way to speak this text than American Stage Standard.
In this delightful 10-minute video, a father/son duo demonstrates the differences between RP and OP while standing on the stage of the Globe Theatre in London. Enjoy!
Happy Birthday Bill!
Today is Shakespeare’s 448th birthday. (Incidentally, it is also the 396th anniversary of his death.) In honor of our buddy Bill, here are a few suggestions for how to celebrate.
First, try your hand at this quiz, care of the Huffington Post:
Test your Shakespeare Knowledge!
Then explore Happy Birthday Shakespeare, “a project by bloggers around the world to celebrate the impact of Stratford’s greatest son.”
Finally, go back to the text. Pick up your favorite play and read one of those great juicy speeches out loud. Just for the joy of it.
And to Shakespeare we say: thank you for being born.
Location, Location, Location
This past weekend, Midsommer Flight spent some time scouting park locations. We took a little tour around the city and visited some parks we had never seen. It was exciting to be reminded just how many beautiful park locations Chicago has; most city residents are unaware of many of them. We traveled north, west, and south in search of the perfect location for a summer production, and we found a few definite contenders. Hopefully we’ll have an announcement soon!
Thou bawdy swag-bellied strumpet!
Just for fun, click here: Shakespearean Insulter
Try one of these the next time you really want to give someone a piece of your mind…you bawdy dog-hearted barnacle!
Midsommer Flight 