Chicago Shakespeare Welcoming Nearly 20,000 Students To Short Shakespeare! A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

In an expanded five-week run of weekday matinees, Chicago Shakespeare Theater is welcoming nearly 20,000 students in grades 4-12 from across the region to Short Shakespeare! A Midsummer Night's Dream, deepening CST's commitment to education programming.

This 75-minute abridgement of the magical romantic comedy is adapted and directed by CST Artistic Director Edward Hall, who brings together his signature clarity in storytelling and playful staging for an unforgettable theatrical experience in the Jentes Family Courtyard Theater, February 4-March 8. After each performance, the actors remain on stage for a question-and-answer session about the production.

Reaching more students and teachers than any theater in the city, CST's education initiatives support the development of young people's crucial skills, including social-emotional competencies, critical literacy, creative problem solving and meaningful collaboration. 73% of students reported greater interest in Shakespeare after attending a CST student matinee performance. Student tickets are offered at a deeply subsidized rate, and —new this year—bus reimbursement scholarships help overcome a barrier to entry, benefiting more than 1,500 students from 22 qualifying schools.

“It's a joy to be creating this Short Shakespeare production as part of CST's ongoing commitment to providing the best theater for young people,” says Edward Hall. “I have had some of my most exciting experiences in the theater making work in this forum and look forward to sharing this comedy that warms the heart and delights the soul, inspiring young audiences and artists of the future.”

CST's Director of Education and Lifelong Learning Nora Carroll shared, "For the next 5 weeks, the Courtyard will buzz with the energy of teens who are engaging with the characters on stage, the choices they make, and the world they exist in. We've seen firsthand how transformative it is for young people to experience live theater for the first time and bring their full selves to a space that truly belongs to them. This production of A Midsummer Night's Dream removes the fourth wall, inviting our audiences to talk back to the characters and contribute to the performance."

What FOOLS these mortals be! Join Puck and his feisty fairy band at the Athens summer music festival in this 75-minute production of Shakespeare's dreamiest romantic comedy. Hermia is engaged to Demetrius, but actually loves Lysander. Lysander loves her back, until a spell casts his gaze upon her Best Friend Helena, who—would you believe it?—loves Demetrius. This quartet of love-sick young people are joined by a motley crew of theatricals, a fairy King and Queen in an epic showdown, and a talking donkey to boot. Delight in the exhilaration and hilarity of young love as the chaos of magic and enchantment turns the world upside down.

A Midsummer Night's Dream features an ensemble cast that includes Scott Aiello, Jordan Arredondo, Elizabeth Laidlaw, Jaylon Muchison, Olivia Pryor, Issy van Randwyck, Brenann Stacker, and Grace Steckler. Understudies include John Drea, Lenin Izquierdo, Jennifer Mohr, and Sara Mountjoy-Pepka. 

Creating the world of A Midsummer Night's Dream are set designer Alyssa Mohn, Costume Designer Janelle Smith, and sound designer and composer Forrest Gregor, with music arrangements and an original song by The Q Brothers (GQ & JQ). The creative team also includes art director Michael Pavelka, associate director Christopher Llewyn Ramirez, fight and intimacy choreographer Elizabeth Laidlaw, production stage manager Rita Vreeland, and assistant stage manager Cassidy Wray.

In addition to student matinees, performances are open to the public on Saturdays at 11:00 a.m., with tickets starting at just $26 for students ages 18 and under.

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