No Holds Bard: Celebrating the Lasting Legacy of Shakespeare
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Four hundred years ago William Shakespeare went to meet his maker, but he left behind a body of work that is still alive and well. When most of us hear the words “To be or not to be, that is the question” or “But soft, what light through yonder window breaks” or “Double, double, toil and trouble,” we immediately can identify the Shakespearean play in which the lines are spoken.
University of Wisconsin — Madison Libraries, UW — Madison Arts Institute, and the Chazen Museum of Art, along with partners across the state, will join the worldwide celebration of Shakespeare’s legacy through the project Shakespeare in Wisconsin 2016. Performances, lectures, K – 12 educational opportunities, and other events will demonstrate ways in which the bard still influences the world, including the lives of those in Wisconsin.
One of those partners is Door Shakespeare, the local theater that is unique in the state for primarily producing the plays of Shakespeare. Since 1995 audiences have been enjoying classic theater in the gardens of Björklunden near Baileys Harbor.
“Shakespeare outside is a gift,” said Amy Ludwigsen, executive director of Door Shakespeare. “Theater in the open air, as the plays were presented originally, requires the audience to listen to the text and focus on the story.”
Because the audience is seated closely on three sides of the performance space, they enjoy a sense of immediacy. “I like the vibe that you feel,” Ludwigsen continued. “The play begins in daylight” and as the evening descends “it becomes participatory and fun.”
A centerpiece of this year’s celebration of Shakespeare’s legacy is a national touring exhibition of Folger Shakespeare Library’s First Folio, with destinations throughout the United States. This November the exhibition will open at the Chazen Museum of Art in Madison.
As part of the tour, the library has assembled extensive instructional resources available to teachers and families. Door Shakespeare will be taking advantage of them during this summer’s productions of Julius Caesar and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Jonathan Wainwright in Door Shakespeare’s 2015 production of “Romeo and Juliet.” Photo by Bruce Ambuel.
The Will-In-the-Woods Educational Series will be presented before selected performances twice each week in the recently restored walled Shakespeare Garden adjacent to the performance space. Using materials provided by the Folger Library, Ludwigsen, actors, and a retired educator will offer free interactive, informal discussions that are appropriate for all ages.
Doorways, the Door Shakespeare summer theater workshop series for children, has become a fixture in the community; its focus, however, now has evolved from theater games and improvisational experiences “to a program that is itself a tribute to Shakespeare,” Ludwigsen said, as participants “explore the words of Shakespeare,” culminating their studies with performances of “green shows” for audiences.
Door Shakespeare’s participation in Shakespeare in Wisconsin 2016 will take the troop beyond the boundaries of the Björklunden gardens. Ludwigsen belongs to the Shakespeare Theater Association (STA), a network of member companies from around the globe who are primarily the producers of Shakespeare’s plays. Because of her connection with this group, Door Shakespeare’s Facebook page will announce upcoming activities and links to live-streamed events.
One of the more imaginative observances planned, Ludwigsen said, is a live broadcast in which Shakespearean dialogue will be spoken to and from astronauts aboard the International Space Station in English, Japanese and Russian. While the event has been approved, an actual date has yet to be confirmed.
Less spectacularly but perhaps of even more significance, plans exist “to bring Shakespeare to marginalized communities, including Shakespeare Behind Bars in prisons” and to culturally and economically under-served areas, she added. Shakespeare can be “a tool for social justice,” she explained, because of the universal themes that appear in his plays, such as the challenge faced by veterans returning from war.
In addition to incorporating Folger educational materials into the Will-In-the-Woods programs, Ludwigsen plans to use them for outreach to local schools, an extension of work the theater has done in the past.
“This is an exciting year,” said Ludwigsen, not only because of the events planned to celebrate the 400-year legacy of Shakespeare, but for the 2016 season at Björklunden. After the transition period during which Ludwigsen became executive director, the theater has made impressive changes, including the introduction of a fixed set piece, a cast of diverse young talent, and the addition of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater mainstays Joseph Hanreddy and James Pickering.
“The shows are going to be exciting and fun,” she added, “a way for everyone to tune in and realize how relevant Shakespeare still is.”
To learn more about Shakespeare in Wisconsin 2016, visit library.wisc.edu/shakespeare2016/home/about; to learn more about Door Shakespeare’s role in the program, visit doorshakespeare.com.
Door Shakespeare’s season runs June 29 to August 20. For information or to order tickets, visit their website or call (920) 839-1500.
The ensemble of Door Shakespeare’s production of “Romeo and Juliet” in 2015, directed by Leda Hoffmann. Photo by Bruce Ambuel.
First Folio
After Shakespeare’s death two actors, John Heminge and Henry Condell, assembled and published the playwright’s work in 1623. The First Folio provided the only source for 18 of the plays, including Macbeth, Julius Caesar, Twelfth Night, The Tempest, and As You Like It.
The Folger Shakespeare Library acquired this First Folio in 1897 as a part of the Warwick Castle Library. Now the Folger collection holds 82 copies of the First Folio, one-third of those that still survive.
2016 Season
Door Shakespeare’s productions this summer have special significance for those of us of a certain age. Many of us were introduced to Shakespeare in high school through studying Julius Caesar. And longtime theatergoers in Door County may recall that A Midsummer Night’s Dream was the very first show produced by Door Shakespeare.
