Hey, crew! It’s the end of a long first week here at #ASCTC2023, and we’ve got a lot to cover. On the rehearsal front, things continue swimmingly. Julius Caesar is definitely going down, but King Cymbeline just might make it this time.
Showcase scenes are also proceeding wonderfully. We’ll do a big post just about those later this week, but trust us when we say that these are going to be great. These scenes have everything: evil kings, lovers running through the woods, witches, lions, bad poetry, and Romeo getting really, really sad. It’s going to be so fun!
Our production interns, the stage managers and dramaturgs for our shows this year, got some time in the spotlight, too. The dramaturgs delivered their first of several presentations about Caesar and Cymbeline. Eli Dietrich talked about Shakespeare’s relationship to history, while Scarlet Frishman gave a talk on relationships in Shakespeare. Campers (and staff, too!) learned a lot about the plays they’re working on this summer. Meanwhile, all the interns, stage managers definitely included, got the chance to assistant direct the showcase scenes, working more directly with campers this week.
Outside of the rehearsal room, things took an exciting turn for the campers late in the week. They saw two (2!!) shows at the American Shakespeare Center, asked some great questions, met the actors, and then ended Saturday with a big party: the masquerade!
Measure for Measure and Taming of the Shrew are two of Shakespeare’s more… complicated works. And the two productions met the challenges presented by the texts in very different ways. Measure‘s post-apocalyptic aesthetic sparked camper imaginations and discussions for hours, while the almost-absurd slapstick comedy and romance of Taming won more than few hearts.
After Thursday’s performance of Measure, campers enjoyed a Q&A with the cast– topics ranged from line-learning techniques to breakfast foods. And then, after Taming on Friday, campers actually got to meet the ASC’s current company face-to-face!
Finally, after a very full week of rehearsal, learning, stabbing (of Caesar), and living in a cave (it’s a Cymbeline thing), campers got to celebrate with a masquerade dance! The theme was “Enchanted Forest”, but campers were welcome to dress to whatever theme they wanted– and we got some legendary costumes. From a mad scientist’s lab coat to a big orange wig, and with lots and lots of fake elf ears, campers showed up and let loose on the dancefloor.
Campers are currently spending a (well earned) lazy Sunday watching movies and playing games– the perfect end to a perfect first week at camp.
So that’s all for now; stay tuned next week for all the info you need about rehearsals, showcase, and camp life. See you then! #GloriousSummer
