Stage2: A Midsummer Night’s Dream 2016

Student Matinee Performances: May 4-10, 2016 | Public Performance: May 6 at 8pm and May 7 at 3pm

Carling-Sorenson Theater, Babson College, Wellesley

By William Shakespeare

Directed by Adam Sanders

About Student Matinees

One of Shakespeare’s most popular plays, A Midsummer Night’s Dream follows the journey of four young lovers as they find their way through the forest and to each other. In the city of Athens, growing up means fitting in with the traditions of how people “should” and “must” feel. Fleeing these expectations, the youth discover in the woods that transformation awaits for those who dare to leave the beaten path. In the forest, these young lovers’ paths intersect with those of warring fairies and well-meaning mechanicals rehearsing a play. With a little interference from mischievous Puck, no one will come out of the woods entirely the same.

Who is A Midsummer Night’s Dream appropriate for?

Our Stage2 programming is recommended for students grades 6-12; however, we encourage each educator and/or parent to read the play being presented and make the best choice for his/her student(s). Please use the information and graphic below to gain a better idea of what to expect from this year’s play.

Our shows are presented using Shakespeare’s original text, cut for length to approximately 1.5 hours without intermission. School groups also have the option of staying for a short post-show talk back with the actors. Our cuts also focus on highlighting the themes, ideas and language that will resonate most for this audience. Our creative team and performers strive to support the play by making choices that serve to illuminate the storytelling for student audiences without “watering down” our source material.

About CSC2

CSC’s Stage2 Series productions use Shakespeare’s original text and are performed by our CSC2 Company, a group of young professional actors in residency with us for the year. We focus on themes and stories told by this next generation of actors that will resonate with next generation of theater goers. These productions bring the vibrancy, clarity and immediacy that has been the hallmark of our work on the Boston Common for over twenty years. Stage2 is a perfect supplement for students already reading Shakespeare in their curriculum or as a first-time introduction. We strive to make each play accessible, intelligible and entertaining for all. In addition to our Stage2 productions, we also offer supplemental in-school workshops led by our teaching artists and CSC2 actors.

Cast

Jes Bedwinek
Hippolyta/ Titania
Jes Bedwinek
Hippolyta/ Titania

Jes Bedwinek is a New York based actor and comedian.  NYC: Grusome Playground Injuries (Times Square Arts Center), Asylum (New Dance Theatre), Achilles & The River (Reading-MTC), Blood Red Roses (City Show), Monster Party (Tiny Rhino Festival).  Regional: Titania in CSC’s Stage2 production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Olivia in Twelfth Night (Oberlin Summer Theatre Festival), The Foreigner (MPAC), Spring Awakening (Promethean).  Film/TV: “Hunting Season” on Logo TV.  Jes has worked with the Moscow Art Theatre at ART and The Second City in Chicago.  MFA from The New School for Drama. www.jesbedwinek.com

Rachel Belleman
Helena

Rachel Belleman returns to CSC after appearing as Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream as part of the CSC2 company.  Other credits include Person/Greta in the bilingual, international tour of Del Agua Al Polvo (Brown Box Theatre Project), Courtney in Triple Word Score (Car Shorts), and Hero/Aphrodite in Love of the Nightingale (Hub Theatre Company).  She holds a B.A. in Musical Theatre from James Madison University.  www.rachelbelleman.com

Anthony Cason
Bottom

Anthony Carson returns to CSC after performing with CSC2 as Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.  Other credits include Belize in Angels in America: Part I Mickey in After the Fall, and Peter in At Home at the Zoo.  Regional: Lincoln: A Pioneer Tale (Lincoln Ampitheater), The 39 Steps, The Fantasticks (Fritche Theatre). Film/TV: “The Breaks” (VH1).

Margaret Clark
Hermia

Margaret Clark returns to CSC after appearing as Hermia in CSC2’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.  Other credits include Carol in Oleanna (Umbrella Arts), Miss Plum in Trumpet of the Swan (Wheelock Family Theatre), Bianca in The Taming of the Shrew (Brown Box Theatre), Annie in Spinning (Solas Nua), and The Silver Lining, Translations (Bad Habit). She received her BFA in Acting from Emerson College and additional training at Shakespeare & Company and The American Shakespeare Center.

Dalton Davis
Demetrius

Dalton Davis returns to CSC after appearing as Demtrius in CSC2’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.  Classically trained, Dalton is a resident of New York where he studies Shakespeare under the direction of Eddie Lew. Other credits include Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Glen Cooper in Rumors, Flute in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Mark in The Wayside Motor Inn, and Tartuffe in Tartuffe.  

Marisa Gold
Snug/ Cobweb
Marisa Gold
Snug/ Cobweb

Marisa Gold returns to CSC after appearing in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Snug/Cobweb) as part of CSC2 and completing the Apprentice Program in 2015 as Macbeth in Macbeth directed by Nora Long. Other credits include Corrie in Barefoot in the Park (Moonbox Theatre Company) and Cecily in The Importance of Being Earnest (Newton Theatre Company).

Cameron Gosselin
Snout/ Moth/ Egeus
Cameron Gosselin
Snout/ Moth/ Egeus

Cameron Gosselin returns to CSC after appearing as Snout/Moth/Egeus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream with CSC2.  Previous credits include Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew (Brown Box Theatre Project), Laertes in Hamlet, Banquo in Macbeth, and Don Pedro in Much Ado About Nothing, all with Bay Colony Shakespeare Company.  Other credits include Griever in Blue Window, Katurian in The Pillowman, and Erik Larsen in Enigma Variations.  Cameron is a graduate of Muhlenberg College where he received a BA in Theatre with a focus on acting.

Nash Hightower
Lysander

Nash Hightower returns to CSC after appearing as Domain in Love’s Labor’s Lost. Other theater credits include: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (CSC2), Ether Dome (Huntington Theater Company), Falsettoland (Test Theater Company), and more. Film credits include: “The American Dream”, “Paralarva”, and “The Internet”. He also is a set carpenter and a proud member of the National Registry of EMTs. Nash is a graduate of Emerson College.

Arisael Rivera
Puck/ Philostrate
Arisael Rivera
Puck/ Philostrate

Arisael Rivera returns to CSC after appearing as Puck in CSC2’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Friar Laurence in CSC2’s Romeo & Juliet, and in the Ensemble of King Lear on Boston Common.  Other credits include Narrator/Arsonist in LA Lights Fire, and Butch in Educational, Career Relevant.  Follow him on Twitter: @ari_sael_riv.

Grace Trapnell
Peter Quince/ Mustardseed
Grace Trapnell
Peter Quince/ Mustardseed

Grace Trapnell returns to CSC after completing the Apprentice program in 2013 and appearing in The Two Gentlemen of Verona.  Recent regional credits include Blood Wedding (Apollinaire), Romeo & Juliet (Shakespeare Now!).and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Vermont Shakespeare Company). Grace hails from Charlottesville, Virginia and holds a BA in theater from the University of Vermont.

Matthew Tyler
Oberon/ Theseus
Matthew Tyler
Oberon/ Theseus

Matthew Tyler returns to CSC after appearing as Oberon/Theseus in CSC2’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Regional: Romeo & Juliet (Romeo) with San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, Brighton Beach Memoirs (Stanley) with Highlands Summer Theater, Children of A Lesser God (Orin Dennis) with Chabot College, and Columbus Day (Kip) with Wheeler productions.  Film: J.D. in “The Sex Movie”, Cappuchino in “Killer Bean Forever”, and Oliver in “Gypsy Boys.”   Matthew graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in Acting.

Colin Wulff
Flute/ Peaseblossom
Colin Wulff
Flute/ Peaseblossom

Colin Wulff returns to CSC after appearing as Flute in A Midsummer Night’s Dream with CSC2.  Previous credits include Orlando in As You Like It (Oberlin Summer Theater Festival), Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Southern Shakespeare Festival), Juror 3 in Twelve Angry Men (AlphaNYC), and Osvald in Ghosts (Oberlin College). Graduate of Oberlin College with a BA in Theater.

Creative Team

Adam Sanders
Director

Adam Sanders is the Associate Artistic Director at CSC. He serves as director of the Apprentice Program, and is the director and originator of CSC2, a cohort of early-career actors. Directing credits for CSC include: Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Julius Caesar (CSC2 Company), Symphonic Shakespeare, (in collaboration with Boston Landmarks Orchestra at the Boston Hatch Shell); co-director: Kiss Me Kate, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and The Boys From Syracuse (also BLO/Hatch Shell collaborations), co-director/dramaturg: Shakespeare and Leadership (2013 – 2017), and CSCs unprecedented Shakespeare at Fenway performance in 2014; director: Shakespeare and the Law (2017).

William Shakespeare
Playwright

William Shakespeare was a renowned English poet, playwright, and actor born in 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon. His birthday is most commonly celebrated on 23 April, which is also believed to be the date on which he died in 1616. Shakespeare was a prolific writer during the Elizabethan and Jacobean ages of British theatre (sometimes referred to as the English Renaissance or the Early Modern Period). Shakespeare’s plays are perhaps his most enduring legacy, but they are not the only things he wrote. Shakespeare’s poetry has also remained popular to this day.

Shakespeare’s work includes 38 plays, 2 narrative poems, a collection of 154 sonnets, and other poems as well. No original manuscripts of Shakespeare’s plays are known to exist today, and about half of Shakespeare’s plays are only available to us because a group of actors in his company collected them for publication after his death. These writings were brought together in what is known as the First Folio (‘Folio’ refers to the size of the paper used). It contained 36 of his plays, and none of his poetry. Shakespeare’s legacy is as rich and diverse as his work; his plays have spawned countless adaptations across multiple genres and cultures, and his plays have had an enduring presence on stage and film.

His writings have been compiled in various iterations of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by different entities, which usually include all of his plays, his sonnets, and his other poems. From Stratford to London and beyond, William Shakespeare was and is one of the most important literary figures of the English language.

 

Brynna Bloomfield
Scenic Design
Brynna Bloomfield
Scenic Design

Brynna Bloomfield is a set designer, artist and educator based in Boston, MA. At Emerson College she teaches stage design, mask making and design research, and is lead instructor for Emerson Precollege Program in stage design. Her design and stage craft work spans twenty years. Brynna is also a founding board member of Israeli Stage. Brynna received her BFA in fine arts from the School of Visual Arts in New York and worked in illustration, installation design and animation before attending Brandies University to earn an MFA in theater design. She is a member of IATSE, USA Local 829.

Jen Rock
Lighting Design
Jen Rock
Lighting Design

Jen Rock is thrilled to be joining CSC again after designing A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 2016.  Other design credits include productions ranging everywhere from Off-Broadway to academia, including work with Actors’ Shakespeare Project, Bated Breath Theatre Company, Company One Theatre, Crossroads Repertory Theatre, Lyric Stage Company of Boston, Speakeasy Stage, The Brown University/ Trinity Rep Consortium, The University of Rhode Island.  Additionally Jen serves on the faculty of Eastern Connecticut State University as a professor of lighting design and is the recipient of two Elliot Norton Awards.  www.jenrockdesign.com.

Miranda Giurleo
Costume Design
Miranda Giurleo
Costume Design

Miranda Kau Giurleo has previously designed Macbeth, Julius Caesar and Midsummer Night’s Dream for CSC’s Second Stage.  Regional credits include: Native Gardens, The Heath, The Royale, A Christmas Carol, Chill  (Merrimack Repertory Theatre), Allegiance, The Scottsboro Boys (SpeakEasy Stage Company), Dry Land, Shockheaded Peter, She Kills Monsters, Neighbors (Company One), Richard III, Measure for Measure, As You Like It (Actor’s Shakespeare Project), The Convert, Matchless & The Happy Prince, Roots of Liberty (Underground Railway Theatre), True West, Dancing at Lughnasa, The Effect, The New Electric Ballroom, Totalitarians (Gloucester Stage Company).  Miranda is also on the faculty at Bridgewater State University where designs include Gypsy, Assassins, and Young Frankenstein.

Andrew Duncan Will
Sound Design

Andrew Duncan Will Credits include Six Degrees of Separation, The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? (Bad Habit Productions),  Dry Land (Company One), Detroit (Apollinaire Theater), God Box, Stronger Than the Wind, The Amish Project (New Repertory Theatre), Fufu & Oreos, Sixty Miles to Silver Lake (Bridge Repertory Theater).

Yo-El Cassell
Movement Director/ Choreographer
Yo-El Cassell
Movement Director/ Choreographer

Yo-El Cassell’s CSC credits include Comedy of Errors, All’s Well That Ends Well, Othello, Coriolanus, Two Gentleman of Verona, Twelfth Night, King Lear, Romeo & Juliet, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Kiss Me Kate and Symphonic Shakespeare with Boston Landmarks Orchestra. Off Broadway: Moonlight Interior. Many productions with American Repertory Theatre, Lyric Stage Company of Boston, New England Conservatory, Boston Opera Collaborative, and Nantucket Dreamland Theatre.  He has taught at Boston Ballet, Skidmore College, Walnut Hill School for the Arts, The New England Conservatory, and Harvard University Dance Department.

Connor M. O’Leary
Properties Master
Connor M. O’Leary
Properties Master

Connor M. O’Leary Credits include Crazy for You!, Shrek! the Musical, Brigadoon, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Steel Magnolias, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, (New London Barn Playhouse), James and the Giant Peach, Guys and Dolls, The Spitfire Grill (Emerson College), Detroit (Apollinaire Theater), and Six Degrees of Separation (Bad Habit Productions).

Chris Olmstead
Assistant Director
Chris Olmstead
Assistant Director

Christopher Olmstead is delighted to be at CSC after appearing as Peter in CSC2’s Romeo & Juliet. After receiving his BA from Bard College at Simon’s Rock, Chris trained as an apprentice director in London.  He spent the last few years directing, performing, and teaching in Germany before returning to the states.  Boston credits include Retreat (Roxbury Repertory Theatre).

Geena M. Forristall
Stage Manager

Geena M. Forristall Credits include Dinner Detective Boston (Dinner Detective), Kultar’s Mime Mehr Kaur (Sikh Research Center), Romeo & Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare Now!), The Winter’s Tale (Bay Colony Productions), and Sleep No More (Punchdrunk NYC/Emursive).

Jeremy Browne
Production Manager
Jeremy Browne
Production Manager

Jeremy Browne is a Boston based actor and director with a specific focus on Shakespeare and Violence Design.  Previous works with CSC include Violence Supervision for Coriolanus, All’s Well That Ends Well, and Othello.  Featured stunt work in Film and television include “The Dark Knight Rises”(Warner Brothers Films), and “Vegas” (CBS).  He studies with local choreographers such as Robert Walsh and Ted Hewlitt, as well as Los Angeles based Bob Yerkes and Buster Reeves.

Carling-Sorenson Theater
19 College Drive Babson College
231 Forest Street
Babson Park (Wellesley), MA 02457

Driving Directions to Babson College/Sorenson Center for the Arts

From the east: Take the Massachusetts Turnpike to Exit 15 (Interstate 95/Route 128). After the tolls, follow signs to Route 95/128 South to Exit 21 (Route 16 Newton/Wellesley) …

From the west: Take the Massachusetts Turnpike to Exit 14 (Interstate 95/Route 128). After the tolls, follow signs to Route 95/128 South to Exit 21 (Route 16 Newton/Wellesley) … From the south: Follow Route 95/128 North to Exit 21 (Route 16 Newton/Wellesley) …

From the north: Follow Route 95/128 South to Exit 21 (Route 16 Newton/Wellesley) …

Then … At end of the off ramp, follow signs for Route 16 West (Washington Street). Continue on Route 16 West for 2 miles through Newton Lower Falls and Wellesley Hills. Turn left onto Forest Street and follow for 1 mile to Babson College; the main entrance is on the right. Turn left onto Map Hill Drive and park in the Trim Parking Lot. The theater is a short walk away, on College Drive.

Trim Parking Lot is the best place to park when attending events at the Sorenson Center for the Arts.  As you enter on Forest Street, make a left at the first stop sign unto Map Hill Drive.  On your right will be a smaller lot, Hollister Lot. If there is space available, patrons may park there.  However, Trim Parking Lot is preferred which will be on the left hand side after you pass the Hollister lot.  To walk to the theater, walk back towards the stop sign and make a left at the Hollister building.  Continue walking straight past Reynolds Campus Center and the Sorenson Center for the Arts will be the next building.

Handicap parking is available in the Hollister Lot, on Map Hill Drive.  We also recommend that patrons with mobility issues be dropped off in front of the theater before your party finds parking in Hollister or Trim lot for your convenience. 

From the Amtrak Terminal at South Station

You have two options:

1) Take the Framingham/Worcester Commuter rail to Wellesley Hills. From South Station, take the Framingham/Worcester commuter rail to Wellesley Hills. Depending on the time of day, regularly scheduled trains leave South Station at ½ to 2-hour intervals (Monday-Friday), and 1-to 3-hour intervals (Saturday and Sunday). The trip takes approximately 30 minutes. Purchase your ticket in the station. Then, call a taxi from Wellesley Hills. (See Area Taxis, below.)

2) Take the “T.” From South Station, take the MBTA subway Red Line inbound two stops to Park Street. Walk upstairs and take the Green Line outbound Riverside D train to Woodland, the next to last stop on the D line. Allow an hour for the trip. Then, take a taxi from Woodland to Babson. (See Area Taxis, below.)

For complete information about Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) services, including specific maps, schedules, and fares for trains, buses, and subways, please visit the MBTA web site.

By Taxi

Veteran’s Taxi (781) 449-8294 Wellesley Transportation (781) 235-2200 The Babson campus is handicap accessible.

What is the running time of the production?

The performance runs approximately under 2 hours without intermission.

For student matinees, each performance is followed by a talk back with the cast which will last no more than an additional half hour. Schools may choose to be dismissed before or after the talk back and can indicate this preference when booking.

What ages is the production appropriate for?

Our Stage2 programming is recommended for students grades 6-12; however, we encourage each educator and/or parent to read the play being presented and make the best choice for his/her student(s). Please use the information and graphic below to gain a better idea of what to expect from this year’s play.

Our shows are presented using Shakespeare’s original text, cut for length to approximately 1.5 hours without intermission. School groups also have the option of staying for a short post-show talkback with the actors. Our cuts also focus on highlighting the themes, ideas and language that will resonate most for this audience. Our creative team and performers strive to support the play by making choices that serve to illuminate the storytelling for student audiences without “watering down” our source material.

Is there handicap seating available?

Yes, there are several locations in the theater to accommodate wheelchairs.  For evening performances, call the box office at the Sorenson Center for the Arts to purchase these locations at 781-239-5880.

For student matinees, please indicate any seating needs during booking.

Are assisted listening devices available?

Yes, visit the box office for assisted listening devices.

When should I arrive?

The theater will open for seating roughly a half hour before curtain time.

We advise you give yourself plenty of time for parking and walking to the theater.

Where should I park?/How do I get to the theater after parking?

Trim Parking Lot is the best place to park when attending events at the Sorenson Center for the Arts.  As you enter on Forest Street, make a left at the first stop sign unto Map Hill Drive.  On your right will be a smaller lot, Hollister Lot. If there is space available, patrons may park there.  However, Trim Parking Lot is preferred which will be on the left hand side after you pass the Hollister lot.  To walk to the theater, walk back towards the stop sign and make a left at the Hollister building.  Continue walking straight past Reynolds Campus Center and the Sorenson Center for the Arts will be the next building.

For student matinees, buses may drop off and pickup directly in front of the theater. Arrival/dismissal instructions will be sent with your booking confirmation.

Are concessions available?

Although there is no food or drink permitted in the theater, food and drink are available for purchase in the Reynolds Campus Center next to the Sorenson Center for the arts.

For student matinees, students may bring bagged lunches to store under their seats for the duration of the show. No food or drink is to be consumed in the theater during the performance. If your school group would like to secure a space for students to eat in after the performance, please let us know at time of booking.

Are shows delayed or canceled for weather?

Audience and actor safety is our main concern.  In cases of heavy snow or extreme weather, we will cancel and try to reseat patrons into an alternative performance date.  Weather updates can be found on the homepage of our website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

For student matinees, a member of our Audience Services team will be in touch with school group’s lead chaperone should there be any changes or cancellations to the performance.

If I miss the show, what are my options?

To reschedule for evening performances, call the box office at the Sorenson Center for the Arts at 781-239-5880 at least one business day before your reservation.  We will make our best efforts to seat you in another performance.  Seating will be based on availability.  It is not our policy to refund tickets but we are happy to reseat you on another date.  If you miss a production altogether, we will reseat you in an alternative production of your choice based on availability.

Can I take photos or video?

The taking of photos or video is strictly prohibited.

How can I support Commonwealth Shakespeare Company?

To make a donation or call 617-426-0863.  Click on the Ways To Give tab on our website to learn more about upcoming fundraising events and ways to get involved.

Support for Commonwealth Shakespeare Company Provided by

Join our E-Newsletter!

Get the latest CSC News, directly to your inbox. From discounts and production announcements to educational opportunities and partnerships.