Experience Theatre Project to Stage A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM at The Round

Experience Theatre Project, in conjunction with the City of Beaverton and The Round in Beaverton, present Shakespeare's A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM at The Round, June 24- July 10, 2016. This event is the first of its kind at the Round in Beaverton and the first full- length production by the Experience Theatre Project. The event is for all ages and absolutely free to the public.

The production's 10 show run is set for Friday-Sunday, June 24-26, July 1-3, and July 7-10. Evening shows begin at 7:30. Seating is first come, first serve. A small amount of reserved seats for each performance will be available for a small fee starting June 1.

Alisa Stewart, Artistic Director of Experience Theatre Project, describes the project as long overdue. "I'm very grateful to the City and the Round for having enabled us to put on this show. I'm eager to invite the community to experience free Shakespeare this summer without having to drive through the Vista Ridge tunnel."

Stewart believes that the production will be a boon to Beaverton. "The Mayor (Denny Doyle) has always been a strong supporter of the arts. We believe the show will bring the community together and add to the City's vibrancy and distinctiveness should the production become the first of a regular annual series of Shakespeare productions at the Round."

Stewart is confident that residents will embrace the idea of making Shakespeare in the Round an annual event. "Our production style is different from most 'Shakespeare in the Park' productions. We produce immersive shows, which brings audiences much closer to the performers. Essentially the actors' performances take place all around audience members, instead of being confined to a limited stage area in front of them. The show will be full of beautiful costumes and original music with live musicians and acrobatic fairies. We are also including kids from our summer kids camps to perform as fairies. Those kids will love the chance to perform in a Shakespeare play in front of a large audience."

Stewart believes that the production will engender a sense of community pride in the arts, and spark the interest of Beaverton residents to further support in the construction of a new performing arts and culture center, currently scheduled to break ground in 2017. "A free outdoor Shakespeare event will certainly attract attention from neighboring cities, and may even grow our local economy. Should the play become an annual event, it is certain to lay a vibrant future for our theater and the City of Beaverton."

The show will be the first Shakespeare production at the Round since the development's construction in 1997. Auditions for the production will take place on April 2. Volunteer opportunities are available at the theater's website: www.experiencetp.org.

ETP's motto is "Innovation, Immersion, & Imagination." Our theater strives to do things no traditional theater does, from immersive programming to innovative techniques in fundraising and performing arts. ETP hosts a monthly comedy show as a fundraiser for their group, which runs the last Saturday of each month. This month's show is at 8:00 p.m. on March 26 at the Bethany Public House. ETP's 2016 kids' summer theater camps take place in Beaverton, with half day and full day classes, for kids ages 6-18. Themes range from Disney's Frozen to audition and monologue workshops. Classes are scheduled to begin June 20 with registration open now. For a complete list of programs, go online.

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