The Garden Bard

For a driver, there are few sounds worse than the screech of one’s exhaust system dragging along an unforgiving highway. And that, unfortunately, is just how my Door County summer began. “Is that us?” I asked my copilot when I heard the noise. We were just north of Sheboygan and well into the trek from Chicago. The car, however, was calling it a day.

When it became clear that the unmistakable clamor was, in fact, “us,” we snapped into a roadside action mode worthy of any Driver’s Ed video. With the tow truck called and our ride arranged, we calmly sat and basked in the agrarian beauty lining the interstate (this was Sheboygan, after all). We were cool, collected, and as effortlessly upbeat as the jazz I enjoyed while holding for my AAA phone representative. No stress, no panic – just a sunny day on the shoulder of the road. For we knew that in spite of this massive hassle, we were going to spend the next three months in paradise.

Actors, by nature, tend to be urbanites. From the homebase of a cozy apartment (usually shared), an urban actor lives a life of extremes. For every meaty role, there are scores of rejections. For every occasional opening night gala, there are plenty of nights with hot dogs or macaroni and cheese. And for each rewarding rehearsal, there are countless days spent waiting tables, inputting data, and walking dogs. Even the best jobs and brightest colleagues often come to an end after eight brief weeks. This is why a summer in the country can be a truly wonderful thing.

A summer in Door County is no exception. This peninsula supports a remarkable breadth of cultural opportunities for both audience and artist. Professional theatre and music abound, creative and visual arts thrive, and there are (by my count) more spots along Highway 42 to buy antiques and crafts than to buy cherries and cheese curds. The people on the peninsula are enthusiastic, intellectual, and happy; the atmosphere is warm and welcoming. From the showmanship and spectacle of a fish boil to the simple strokes on my New Glarus label, art is everywhere up here.

Perhaps because this place is such a haven for the arts, audiences at Door Shakespeare are appreciative – so appreciative that I sometimes want to remind them that the pleasure of each performance is absolutely mutual. My castmates and I are performing the greatest poetry in the Western world. We are doing so under the stars, in a bucolic clearing in the woods, for a group of people who seem to savor every word. We get to spend the summer in rental properties far beyond our means, focusing solely on our passion. For three glorious months, this is our job. It often dawns on me at the end of a performance…maybe we should be applauding you.

The car, by the way, is doing just fine. Armed with a gleaming new exhaust pipe, she was rechristened Storm Shadow – an appropriately hip appellation for a 1993 Oldsmobile station wagon. And rest assured, this vehicle and I have savored our Door County summer. We’ve honked at a spectacular sunset, pulled off for a quick dip in the bay, sat through a feature at the drive-in, lost a hubcap on a rustic road, blocked traffic staring at rooftop goats, carted a foursome to 18 holes of miniature golf, cruised a cherry orchard, stopped in for ice cream, and spent most of the time just parked and relaxing on a lazy afternoon. It’s the kind of summer everyone should have.

So, one of these nights, I hope you’ll come out to Björklunden and join us for Door Shakespeare. Bring friends, family, and a picnic. Watch the day disappear over the lake, and enjoy the show while night settles into the garden. And, of course, laugh and clap loudly. I know fourteen actors who would love to see you there.

Oh, and if you see Storm Shadow on the road this summer, smile and say hello.

Patrick Halley is an actor at Door Shakespeare, and "The Garden Bard" is a rotating column written by various members of the Door Shakespeare company, including actors, musicians, and directors. Each column reflects on a different aspect of Door Shakespeare’s 2008 season, featuring A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Cyrano de Bergerac. Call 920. 839.1500, or visit http://www.doorshakespeare.com for more details.