Midsommer Flight To Present Free Production Of Shakespeare's ROMEO AND JULIET In Six Chicago Parks

Midsommer Flight will present a fully staged ROMEO AND JULIET ­­- ­one of the Bard's most popular tragedies -  as its 2024 free Shakespeare production. Midsommer Flight Founding Artistic Director Beth Wolf will direct the story of young lovers caught in between their feuding families.

Later in the summer, on August 12, the company will present a staged reading of a play by a 17th Century female French playwright, in collaboration with Hedgepig Ensemble Theatre of Brooklyn, NY, at The Understudy Coffee and Books in Andersonville.

ROMEO AND JULIET will be Midsommer Flight's 11th summer production. Full cast and production team announced.

Wolf says, “ROMEO AND JULIET is a beautiful play to see or perform for its romance, excitement, gorgeous language, and deep emotion. But more than just a famous tale of young love gone awry, ROMEO AND JULIET speaks to our present moment with a story of the tragic consequences when two clashing factions cannot or will not put forth effort to seek communication, understanding, and forgiveness.” ROMEO AND JULIET will be performed over six summer weekends in six different Chicago parks, including a first-time stop in Nichols Park, at 1355 E 53rd Street in the Hyde Park neighborhood. Opening night is Friday, June 28 at 6 pm at Chicago Women's Park and Gardens, 1801 South Indiana Avenue in the South Loop (Near South Side).

Midsommer Flight Founding Artistic Director Beth Wolf announced her cast today. Appearing in the title roles are Faiz Siddique (he/him/his) as Romeo and Ebby Offord (she/they) as Juliet. Siddique's many Chicago area credits include roles in SELLING KABUL and Andy Warhol IN IRAN at Northlight, and MOSQUE4MOSQUE with About Face Theatre. Offord played Puck in Midsommer Flight's A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM in 2022 and before that, Ophelia in Invictus Theatre's HAMLET. 

The cast also includes Kristen Alesia (Nurse, Lady Montague), Ryan Armstrong (Sampson, Balthazar), Brandon Beach (Paris, Abraham), Zach Bloomfield (Lord Montague, Peter, Apothecary), Haven A.J. Crawley (Mercutio), Jack Morsovillo (Gregory, Friar John), Tristan Odenkirk (Tybalt), Jonathan Perkins (Lord Capulet), Laura Resinger (Lady Capulet), Genesis Sanchez (Benvolio), and Amber Washington (Prince, understudy for Juliet).

Understudies are Blake Hood (he/they, understudy for Tybalt, Mercutio, Benvolio), Katie Luchtenburg (understudy for Prince, Gregory/Friar John, Sampson/Balthazar), Shail Modi (understudy for Romeo, Paris/Abraham), Rocco Renda (understudy for Lord Capulet, Friar Laurence, Lord Montague/Peter/Apothecary), and Anne Marie Trodden (understudy for Lady Capulet, Nurse/Lady Montague).

The ROMEO AND JULIET production team includes Isa Noe (Scenic/Props Designer), Rachel M. Sypniewski (Costume Designer), Jack Morsovillo* (Composer/Music Director), LaKecia Harris* (Assistant Director), Payton Shearn (Stage Manager), Hailey Piorek (Assistant Stage Manager), Adi Davis (Production Manager), Hannah Mary Simpson (Text Coach), Maureen Yasko* (Intimacy Director), Chris Smith* (Fight Director), Sammi Grant (Vocal Coach).

(* Indicates Midsommer Flight Artistic Ensemble member)

Midsommer Flight's productions are performed in natural sunlight and without amplified sound, much as they were done in the Bard's day. Midsommer Flight has become one of Chicago's best-loved and most highly regarded producers of free summer Shakespeare. In her review of Midsommer Flight's 2023 production of CYMBELINE, NEW CITY'S Mary Wisniewski said, “this Midsommer production offers better Shakespeare…the language was beautiful and delivered with heart. …with Shakespeare, the play has to be more important than the gimmicks. Midsommer remembers that.”

Sarz Maxwell of BUZZ CENTER STAGE, in reviewing 2022's A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, said “Director/Founder Beth Wolf has brought Midsommer Flight triumphantly through a decade of productions.” Kerry Reid, writing for the CHICAGO READER, said of 2019's THE TEMPEST, “Wolf's compact staging comes in at a tidy 90 minutes, but nothing feels rushed here… it wears its ingratiating charms with a light but sure-handed touch.”

ROMEO AND JULIET

By William Shakespeare
Directed by Producing Artistic Director Beth Wolf
June 28 - August 4, 2024
Fridays and Saturdays at 6 PM and Sundays at 2 PM
Admission is free (donations gladly accepted)
Opening night – Friday, June 28, 6 pm in Chicago Women's Park and Garden, 1801 S. Indiana Ave, 60614 Pictured above: Faiz Siddique and Ebby Offord.

Performed in six different Chicago Park District parks

June 28-30 at Chicago Women's Park and Garden, 1801, S Indiana Avenue
July 5-7 Gross Park, 2708 W Lawrence Avenue
July 12-14 Lincoln Park, Stockton & Dickens / near the Hans Christian Anderson statue
July 19-21 Kelvyn Park, 4438 W Wrightwood
July 26-28 Nichols Park, 1355 E 53rd Street
August 2-4 Touhy Park, 7348 N Paulina Avenue

Shakespeare's eternal tragic story of young love between warring Italian families is performed free, outdoors, in six Chicago parks. Audiences are encouraged to come early and bring a picnic to enjoy this free programming. Seating is first come, first served, and audience members can bring their own blankets or chairs.

Free Reservations are encouraged but not required. Those with reservations will be contacted in the event of weather cancellations or other last minute updates. Reservations will be available through the Midsommer Flight website at https://midsommerflight.com/romeo-juliet-summer-2024/.

Show information on website at www.midsommerflight.com, including detailed schedule and info about directions and parking at each park.  COMING IN AUGUST – Midsommer Flight to collaborate with Brooklyn-based Hedgepig Ensemble/EXPAND THE CANON to present staged reading of a 17th-century French play by a female playwright.

Midsommer Flight is thrilled to partner with Brooklyn-based Hedgepig Ensemble Theatre to introduce Chicago to their exciting EXPAND THE CANON program, an annual list of nine plays by historic women and people of underrepresented genders. EXPAND THE CANON not only celebrates these classic plays but also offers a call to action to produce them.

On August 12, Midsommer Flight will present a staged reading in English of LE FAVORI, a French verse play written in 1664, at The Understudy in Andersonville. Written in 1664, LE FAVORI (THE FAVORITE) is a French verse play about the transactional nature of relationships. It was the first play by a woman performed for King Louis XIV. Brimming with social commentary and humor, LE FAVORI invites obvious comparisons to the work of Molière and promises to be a delightful romp. Midsommer Flight's staged reading will utilize a new translation by Canadian playwright James Hyett and will be directed by Midsommer Flight ensemble member LaKecia Harris. Casting is still to be announced.

Now in its fourth year, the 2023 EXPAND THE CANON list includes plays ranging from 1664 to 1979, from seven countries across three continents, and brings Hedgepig's total number of celebrated works to 36. On the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's First Folio, which contains his 36 plays, Hedgepig has a full folio-worth of classic plays by women that are long overdue for recognition. https://www.hedgepigensemble.org/expand-the-canon

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