Screenwriter And Playwright Jeff Whitty To Speak At Great Lakes Theater Director's Night Discussion

Great Lakes Theater has announced that Academy Award-nominated screenwriter and Tony Award-winning playwright Jeff Whitty will join Play On Shakespeare co-founder and president Lue Douthit for a special Director's Night Discussion of GLT's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream on October 4, 2024, at 6:30 PM.

This conversation will take place in GLT's beautiful Hanna Theatre Salon and will feature a deep dive into the modern verse translation of Shakespeare's beloved play, penned by Whitty in collaboration with Play On Shakespeare. Sara Bruner, Producing Artistic Director and Director of A Midsummer Night's Dream, will lead the discussion.

 

Whitty's translation of A Midsummer Night's Dream is part of Play On Shakespeare's ambitious project to contemporize all 39 of Shakespeare's plays. With his extensive background in theater and film, Whitty brought his characteristic wit and ingenuity to the translation, balancing the play's original lyricism with modern accessibility. The Play On Shakespeare initiative launched in 2015, commissions celebrated playwrights to adapt Shakespeare's works while maintaining the integrity of their linguistic complexity.

 

Whitty is known for his Academy Award-nominated screenplay for Can You Ever Forgive Me?, as well as his work on Broadway musicals such as Avenue Q (Tony Award for Best Book and Best Musical) and Bring It On (Tony Nomination for Best Musical). His creative contributions span theater, television and film, with numerous upcoming projects, including Fallen Woman and Bad Fairy. Whitty is an NYU Tisch School of the Arts graduate with an MFA in Acting.

 

Lue Douthit, a Northeast Ohio native and proud Laurel School alum, will be joining Jeff Whitty in a discussion about their tremendous work with Play On Shakespeare through this hilarious and beautiful translation of a Shakespeare classic. With over 25 years of experience at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF), where she led literary development and dramaturgy, Douthit has overseen more than 50 productions, including world premieres of Head Over Heels and Hannah and the Dread Gazebo. She has co-adapted Shakespeare classics like Macbeth and Measure for Measure for OSF, and her transformative work with Play On Shakespeare continues to champion new voices, ensuring Shakespeare's relevance in the modern world.

 

Don't miss this rare opportunity to hear from two visionary theater-makers and gain unique insight into how Shakespeare's work continues to evolve and inspire contemporary audiences. Whitty and Douthit's discussion promises to enrich your experience of GLT's A Midsummer Night's Dream and celebrate the creative process behind its new translation.

 

The discussion begins at 6:30 PM at the Hanna Theatre. It is free and open to all A Midsummer Night's Dream ticket holders for that evening's performance. To purchase a ticket for this performance and get access to the discussion, please visit www.greatlakestheater.org or call 216.241.6000.

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