SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK
Lichfield
Membership of 'Shakespeare in the Park' is open to anybody. The organisation is headed by a small committee but the only pre-requisite for membership is an interest in participating and an enthusiasm for the event. The activity of the group takes place over a fairly short but very intensive time span. Many members are therefore also members of other local drama groups with whom they perform throughout the rest of the year.
Membership of 'Shakespeare in the Park' is open to anybody. The organisation is headed by a small committee but the only pre-requisite for membership is an interest in participating and an enthusiasm for the event. The activity of the group takes place over a fairly short but very intensive time span. Many members are therefore also members of other local drama groups with whom they perform throughout the rest of the year.
The production is launched each year in early March with an open meeting to which anyone interested in participation is invited. At this meeting the director outlines his or her ideas for the play, discusses the roles and hands out audition pieces to all who are interested in acting parts. Those interested in any other activities within the group, such as backstage, front-of-house or administration, are also invited along to meet the Committee members and discuss openings for their involvement.
Auditions for the play take place in late March or early April, after which those selected for parts have several weeks to learn lines and take part in readings or dialogue workshops. Rehearsals begin in May and run for four to five weeks, according to Bank holidays, taking place on several evenings a week and all outside on site at Maple Hayes. The vagaries of the English climate mean that every type of weather condition may be encountered over this period and nothing should be a surprise.
Staging and sets for 'Shakespeare in the Park' are kept fairly simple and open to retain the beauty of the surroundings and work on the construction of these is carried out on site over weekends in May and June. Then, over the weekend prior to the production date set-up weekend the main imports to the site arrive. Marquees for cast dressing rooms and the bar, and smaller tents for box office and props, are all erected. Portable toilets are delivered and large numbers of lights with vast lengths of cabling are brought in and hung. Most importantly, the straw bales for audience seating are unloaded and laid out. This is therefore a very busy weekend with many people involved and all working very hard to get everything ready for our public. This weekend is followed by dress rehearsals on the Monday and Tuesday before the show goes up on the Wednesday.
We do four evening performances with an additional matinee on the Saturday. On the Sunday following the final performance everything is stripped out again and cleared away with everyone helping to tidy and restore the site. Finally everyone joins in a celebratory barbecue to round off an event which has for many become a vital and very enjoyable event in their annual calendar.
