Shakespeare in the Park 2023

Coming Soon... SitP 2023

Shakespeare in the Park will hit the road again in 2023 with William Shakespeare's...

"Cymbeline"

Dramaturgy and Direction by ML Cogar. Aka, utterly brilliant.
Melissa Wanke*, Stage Manager

* Member of Actors' Equity Association

“Cymbeline” is a tale of fantasy, adventure, and romance. It’s an ultimately uplifting and magical story about King Cymbeline and his virtuous daughter and the perseverance and the need to value the lives of others even if they are flawed and make mistakes. Optimist Dramaturg Mary Lynn Cogar’s successful abridgment structure cuts through to the story at its core in 90 minutes and it’s still 100% Shakespeare.

Executive Director Susan Fry's take.... "Never heard of Cymbeline? Probably since it's not as often performed in it's 3 1/2 hour entirety and complexity of who's on first. Abridging it to 90 minutes makes a HUGE difference! In a nutshell, Princess Imogen, against her father King Cymbeline's wishes, marries a commoner. It's a rom-trag-com - nearly soap opera worthy. I'm expecting great fun."

When and Where?

All shows are outdoors in green spaces - primarily all around the greater Milwaukee area.

Opening show is Sunday, July 9, 2023. Closing show is Sunday, August 13, 2023.
The exact schedule of dates and locations are coming soon.
All Saturday and Sunday matinees. 1 show per day - typically beginning between 4:00 and 5:00 pm

New in 2023...

SitP will debut a new set design in 2023. Now that we're successfully on the road, we're upgrading from the basics to beauty. Sneak peek conceptual drawings are forthcoming.

Auditions / Join the 2023 Cast

Optimist Theatre is accepting video auditions NOW. If you're interested, please email Tom Reed for sides and guidelines.

About the touring production...

The play will be an abridgment focused on a primary storyline and characters. Length around 90 minutes with 8 actors.
First day of rehearsal is Monday, June 5 and run mostly M-F from 6-10pm for 5 weeks. Most rehearsals are indoors transitioning to outdoors as opening date gets closer.
Opening day is Sunday, July 9th with a 5:00 pm performance at Alverno College.
The show tours for 6 weekends for a total of 10 performances.
All Saturday and Sunday matinees. Only 1 show per day - typically beginning between 4:00 and 5:00 pm.
Performances are all outdoors.
Optimist uses a full sound system including a pre-recorded soundscape and actors are all mic'd.
Locations are green spaces primarily in the greater Milwaukee area.
Cast and Crew are all paid. Pay is divided into 3 equal parts and distributed roughly 1/3 and 2/3 into your time commitment and after the final performance. Direct deposit available.
Optimist is an Equity company so all Actors' Equity Association rules are followed. Which makes every rehearsal brilliantly and consistently run.
For a rundown on how the performance day works, peruse Crew details (below).

Join the 2023 Crew

Crew Positions

Touring a show requires a great crew. Once the show is up and running, you're the stars. Because crew is so important, we are hiring NOW for summer 2023.

In addition to the cast info (above) some additional details for crew consideration at a glance...

Crew will rehearse. Touring a show has unique considerations and challenges and it's important to learn how it works before the show hits the road.
Crew arrives about 3 -4 hours prior to showtime to create a theater out of a blank piece of very large lawn somewhere.
It takes about 2 hours to strike the set and load it into the vans each night.
The production includes a full sound system, our own generator, stage decks, dressing rooms, a 'booth' tent, props, costumes and a house. Imagine everything in an indoor theatre except for lights and walls and that's what we create everywhere we go.
Lunch and cold beverages are provided.
Shows are local so no overnight trips.
All paid*. More details in the cast section.

For more information, email Susan Fry or use the contact form on this page.

Some of these positions will be combined. They include...

Equity Stage Manager (Filled)
Production Manager (Filled)
Costumer (Filled)
Set Designer (Filled)
House Manager (Filled)
Assistant Stage Manager
Soundscape Designer
Sound Engineer (Filled)
Set up crew - at least 3 hale and hearty people
Wardrobe
Props
Drivers for the 2 large vans
Marketing and Social Media (Filled)
Community Outreach
Locations Liaison
Payroll (Filled)
Ushers and Audience Assistance . *Some volunteer usher positions available. Some paid. This is the only area where we accept volunteers.

A hint about 2023 show locations?

Interested in SitP coming to

you?

Performances are all outdoors and free to see. 2023 will include a mix of favorites and a few new places. For a flavor, 2022 performances were hosted by and took place at ...

Shakespeare in the Park is a mobile production and we'd love to hear about your green space. In order to consider a location we need...

A big, flat piece of grass - approximately 20 feet by 30 feet plus room for an audience.
Access to drive on 2 vans.
A shady space is very much preferred
Partnering on inviting your community to attend the show

Things that would be nice...

Access to bathrooms. If not available, we'll rent one.

We don't need...

Access to electrical outlets. We bring our own generator.
An amphitheater. They're too small or too far away from the audience or... they just don't work. Our show is designed to be played in the easiest, most commonly available space possible: A big, flat piece of grass.

Email Susan Fry if you're interested in chatting about the possibilities.