What brought you to theater and to Shakespeare?

When I was a young boy I loved to sing. As a teenager in the mid-'50s, I began studying voice with a vocal coach in downtown Chicago. He produced scaled down Broadway Musicals on the weekends. I hadn’t been there three weeks when he threw me into the chorus of GUYS AND DOLLS, and from that moment on I knew I wanted to pursue a life in the theater.

After appearing in several Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, I started working in regional theaters throughout the country. In the mid-'70s, as a resident actor at The Loretto-Hilton Repertory Theatre (now St Louis Repertory), I was cast as Puck in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM and Malcolm in MACBETH. In spite of no formal classical training, much to my surprise, I took to those two roles with great elan. I was hooked.
 
Fast forward to the summer of 1993, when I stepped onto the stage as Shylock in THE MERCHANT OF VENICE at American Players Theatre in Spring Green, and remained there as a core company member for fourteen seasons. I also worked at Milwaukee Shakespeare. In all, I have appeared in 23 of The Bard’s 37 plays.

  
What did 10-year-old you think you’d be when you “grew up?”

The next Frank Sinatra!


What do you think is the greatest challenge of portraying the Fool?

Given all his riddling, rhyming and cryptic language, my greatest challenge was that he be understandable, accessible…And maybe a little bit funny.


What do you hope the audience took away from King Lear?

I wouldn’t presume to know what any audience may take away from any performance, since it’s such a subjective experience. That being said, given the vast scope of this great play that not only deals with greed, cruelty, deception, family dysfunction and death, as well as, love, devotion, loyalty, and a sense of duty and honor, I hope people came away with a deeper understanding of what it is to be human.

​
What Shakespeare character do you most resemble?

Old Gremio in THE TAMING OF THE SHREW, except for all his money.


Besides Shakespeare, with what person, living or dead, would you most love to have a drink and a chat? (And, what’s the drink?)

Michelle Obama, and I’d be sipping slowly on a double Tullamore Dew on the rocks.


What’s your superpower?

I have no superpower.  Unless we’re talking about my superior intellect, breathtakingly good looks, extraordinary acting talent, hysterical sense of humor and my Mother Teresa saintliness. And if you believe any of the above, “I have a bridge in Brooklyn, I’d like to sell you!”


Tragedy, comedy or history?

It depends on what I’m working on. This summer, it was TRAGEDY.


Truth or dare?

Just like the Fool -- truth!

​
Guilty pleasure(s)?

Dark chocolate, the darker the better.

1. Be actively and deliberately engaged .

• ​Shakespeare takes a little warm-up time for the ear. The words will come across more clearly to you after 10-15 minutes. You don’t need to catch every word.
  
• Just like listening to a new song, the rhythms help you understand without picking up on all the lyrics.
  
• An actor’s body movement tells you a lot. If character takes up a lot of physical space and another seems still and small, that is a clue to the difference in their personalities.
  
• Notice vocal sounds. If a character says something you didn’t quite pick up, notice how the other character(s) react.
  
• Does a character’s voice, movement, or behavior change? There’s a reason. Try to figure it out!
  
• Shakespeare’s characters tend to run in “packs.” Figure out which characters go together. Notice how the “packs” change over the course of the play. 
  
• You and your fellow audience members are all in this together. Shakespeare takes focus so minimize your cell phone, side conversations, and walking in and out, however…
  
• Audiences in outdoor theater are encouraged to react aloud to the story! Are you moved? Let’s hear it!
  

2. Every Shakespeare production you ever see is a "cover."

• ​Notice the choices that artists make without expecting them to mimic other artists or productions. New artists doing a cover don’t imitate others, and neither do Shakespeare
  productions.
• A production under 3 hours has had portions of the script cut. What you see is almost never what you would read, and you aren’t likely to see the same version of the script twice. Ever.
• Summaries are good for the overall shape of a story, character names or relationships, but productions may make choices that differ from a description of the entire play as written.​​

3. Theater is different from TV and film.

• ​We’re used to film and TV using music to tell us what to feel, but in theater, the actors are our best clue.
  
• Film and TV use close-ups and camera pans to show us where to look, but the actors do that onstage.
  
• We’re used to film and TV having absolute control of sound and silence to tell us what to listen to, but while the actors will do that to some degree, we must commit to focusing our own attention.
  
• In theater, nothing stops. There is no rewind.​​

4. Take it further and try something new.

• ​Every Shakespeare play begins with Act One Scene One. If you’d like to see how the play you’re going to view has been “covered” by other theaters, go to YouTube, type in the title of the play, and then type act one scene one. Choose a couple of different clips and be amazed at how the actors, set, costumes, music, lighting, and audience seating
  environment can alter your experience of roughly the same script!
  
• After you’ve watched the scene a couple of times, think about how YOU would cast the roles with actors you know. Who could your favorite actor play? Why would they “match” that role? Thinking like a casting director can help you do more than just follow the story.
  
• Come see our productions more than once! Notice how a different audience and different environmental distractions change not only your experience, but also the actors’ performances.
  

Despite the intense rehearsal and production schedule of the last weeks, we were able to get a few minutes with this incredible trio of actors for the return of 10 Questions!

What brought you to theater and to Shakespeare?
I moved a lot when I was growing up. Prior to 9th grade, I made ONE friend, who was interested in theater. So, I took my first acting class to be with her. As luck would have it, the teacher, Mr. Naab, was an extraordinarily generous man and encouraged me beyond the walls of the classroom.  

What did 10-year-old you think you’d be when you “grew up?”
I thought I was going to be a writer....thanks to another very encouraging teacher. 

What do you think is the greatest challenge of portraying Goneril?
To help the audience see her humanity.

What do you hope the audience will take away from King Lear?
I hope, as it does for me, that the story both fills and breaks their hearts.  

What Shakespeare character do you most resemble?
It depends on the day!

Besides Shakespeare, with what person, living or dead, would you most love to have a drink and a chat? (And, what’s the drink?)
Eric Berry, safety for the KC Chiefs, on game day.  Gatorade, of course!

What’s your superpower?
Teaching.

Tragedy, comedy or history?
Tragedy.

Truth or dare?
Dare!

Guilty pleasure(s)?
Young Adult novels and bowling!

What brought you to theater and to Shakespeare?
I'm pretty sure the first play I ever saw was To Kill a Mockingbird at First Stage in the early '90s. I performed in an all-female King Lear at the University of Minnesota in 2009, which was my first crack at the Bard. I played Edgar. 

What did 10-year-old you think you’d be when you “grew up?”
An archaeologist.

What do you think is the greatest challenge of portraying Regan?
Going to a place of deep abandonment and profound cruelty.

What do you hope the audience will take away from King Lear?
A desire to see more live theater, and to take in all that Milwaukee's arts community has to offer.

What Shakespeare character do you most resemble?
Rosalind from As You Like It. 

Besides Shakespeare, with what person, living or dead, would you most love to have a drink and a chat? (And, what’s the drink?)
I would like to share a Coca Cola with Paul Newman!

What’s your superpower?
Juggling many creative projects at the same time.

Tragedy, comedy or history?
I love the haunting comedies that are also tragic (Measure for Measure, As You Like It, Twelfth Night, Two Gents, Merchant of Venice). Some of them are called "problem plays" because they are too complicated to fit into our tidy categories. The characters are interesting and complex, and their decisions leave us unsettled.

Truth or dare?
Both!

Guilty pleasure(s)?
I am not at all guilty about my affinity for fancy cheese, donuts, brats, naps and cheap rosé!

What brought you to theater and to Shakespeare?
My mom loved watching old TV musicals and I grew up watching my older brother in musicals. I also sang a lot in choirs and small groups around town, so the desire to perform came naturally. Acting in high school was my way of doing something different from the music performing I knew. 

What did 10-year-old you think you’d be when you “grew up?”
I remember not knowing what I wanted when I was ten and was so frustrated that I couldn't figure it out. I guess I should have gotten a clue from all the pretend soap opera scenes I played out by myself in my room!

What do you think is the greatest challenge of portraying Cordelia?
The greatest challenge of playing Cordelia is making sure she is a fully realized human being. It is easy to think of her as such a fierce, strong, warrior type. She is definitely all of that, but she is also a daddy's girl, hurt and devastated. Her strength is what pushes her to not give up on her father or his legacy. I hope the audience can see that struggle of vulnerability through determination.

What do you hope the audience will take away from King Lear?
Lear is such a classic and I am so excited to be a part of this production! The story of a fallen or misguided leader and the importance of having the right people around you to be willing to say "no" is a lesson we desperately need today, but I hope the Milwaukee audience realizes the importance of Optimist Theatre and Shakespeare in the Park. Each year, the production level has risen, more people come, the Actor Union contracts increase, there is a Chicago director this year, so many things...and it is still free to all who can get to the Peck Pavilion. A theater dedicated to serving the community needs to be celebrated. I hope that new faces come to the theater and make this part of their Milwaukee summer traditions!

What Shakespeare character do you most resemble?
Cleopatra.

Besides Shakespeare, with what person, living or dead, would you most love to have a drink and a chat? (And, what’s the drink?)
Wow! There are so many, but I would love to sit and chat with Maya Angelou. She was beyond her time and lived her life to the fullest despite her tremendous obstacles, and she EXCELLED. Her personal story, her writing, her philosophy on life, she is the very essence of royalty. We'd be drinking a cool glass of fresh lemonade infused with mint and sliced cucumbers topped with basil, oregano and a hint of salt! 

What’s your superpower?
Keeping a mental calendar...for everyone in my family!

Tragedy, comedy or history?
Tragedy.

Truth or dare?
Truth!

Guilty pleasure(s)?
Splitting a pint of Luna and Larry's Salted Caramel Coconut Ice Cream with my husband while watching episodes of "A Different World!"

​And they ARE! 

And THEY have promised to challenge two MORE people (each!) when their own fundraisers are complete!

If you think that's cool, you don't have to wait for the challenge to make its way to you!
You can start your very own challenge chain!

How?
Easy!

First (and especially) if your birthday is coming up soon, make a plan: decide how long you'd like to run your fundraiser (10-14 days seems manageable, but your mileage may vary), when you'd like to start it, what you'd like to say to your friends and family when you ask them to support Optimist Theatre (the entity registered with Facebook as a nonprofit; we do ask that you @ tag the Shakespeare in the Park page -- @ShaxParkMKE in your intro text).

Then, go to town! The image below shows you how/where to get started.
Promote your fundraiser while it's active. Think about a couple of your own friends with birthdays on the horizon who value free Shakespeare in Milwaukee. When your fundraiser ends, challenge them to do the same!

Finally, bask in our gratitude. Our fans are the best fans, and it's projects like this that just prove it!

Note: if you need help, contact us and we'll be happy to assist you.

As 2017 enters its final hours, it's appropriate to thank everyone who has turned Shakespeare in the Park from a dream into eight summers of funny, poignant, scary, tragic and triumphant theatre!

The donations of hundreds of individuals and businesses and grantmakers, the assistance of dozens of partners, the work and talent of the actors and crews and staff -- and the willingness of all of you to go along for the ride...that's what made all of our milestones possible. None more so than those we passed this year.

Enjoy this look back as we prepare to clear even higher hurdles in the year ahead:

We could not be more pleased to introduce you to Lisa Gaye Dixon, who will be directing King Lear for SitP 2018!

As we teased a couple of weeks ago, Lisa is currently performing in Chicago, at the Goodman Theatre's A Christmas Carol as the Ghost of Christmas Present. We'll catch up with her soon after that's complete in order to bring you some of her thoughts about Lear.

In the meanwhile, her biography will, no doubt, amaze you as much as it did us:

Lisa Gaye Dixon is an Associate Professor in Theatre, and has worked professionally across the country and around the globe. She began her professional career with the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, and has been seen on the stages of the Royal Shakespeare Company and the New Globe Theatre in London, and regionally at the Attic Theatre (Detroit), Milwaukee Shakespeare, Ann Arbor civic Theatre and the Illinois Shakespeare Festival.

Film work includes: The Trouble with Men and Women (BBC/IFC), USING: The Movie, and the award-winning independent film Leading Ladies, where she was also a professional acting coach.