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.
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.”
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).
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.
CST’s Short Shakespeare! series is just one component of CST’s award-winning lifelong learning programs. Recognized as a national leader in the field, the Theater’s arts-in-literacy programs support the work in classrooms across the region for tens of thousands of students each year by bringing complex texts to life onstage and through a variety of professional learning opportunities for teachers. Every fall, Chicago Shakespeare brings high school students from across Chicago and the wider metropolitan area together to celebrate the power of play, community, language, and imagination in the Chicago Shakespeare Slam. This year, Chicago Shakespeare also welcomed a new cohort to the Bard Core program: a year-long professional learning seminar that introduces Chicago Public School teachers to drama-based strategies for engaging students—including struggling and reluctant readers, and English language learners—with Shakespeare and other challenging texts. In the past year, 473 educators have taken advantage of professional development opportunities, free workshops, and digital classroom resources. Learners of all ages deepen their engagement with CST productions through Pre•Amble talks and post-show discussions, and the $30 Under 30 discounted ticket program for young professionals and students reduces barriers to participation for thousands of first-time attendees.For more information about this or other CST programming, visit www.chicagoshakes.com.
