 Shakespeare's use of language is a rich, fascinating source of clues for how English was spoken in the 16th century. Reconstrucing older forms of English can yield equally interesting results.
To say we're directing you to the latest scholarship on the sound of English from the time of Shakespeare, Chacuer and King Arthur (not really "English" for the last one, but, you get the picture) sounds rather dry. It's not. Click through and have a listen to the how Shakespeare's words may have sounded when they were brand new!  Things we know:
We have created a new Shakespeare in the Park Summer Sponsor donor category that offers you the opportunity to avoid waiting in line to claim a space for your blanket or lawn chair at our performances. For the 2015 season, one space may be reserved for each increment of $50 given. Here’s what you need to know:
You may also be interested in: We have added a Corporate Sponsorship page to our website for those businesses interested in supporting the arts to make Milwaukee an even better place to live and work. And, was everyone to beware of them, or just Caesar? The short answers are: the conclusion of the the new year's festivities and, really, mostly just Caesar...and some of his enemies. Across the millenium or so of Roman history, the significance and observation of the Ides of March varied. It's believed that the earliest Roman calendars were lunar, and the Ides of March would have been the first full moon of the new year. In general terms, the Ides of any month woud be the 13th or 15th, depending upon the length of the month -- essentially, the midpoint. Held sacred to Jupiter, the Ides of each month were observed by the monthly sacrifice of a sheep. March's Ides coincided with the feast of the goddess of the year (Anna Perenna), to wrap up the two-week celebration of the new year. Eventually, by the later part of the Roman Empire, the week of the Ides accumulated various other religious days commemorating mythical entities of Rome's past.  Now, as for Caesar's assassination in 44 BC, the way Plutarch tells it, a seer warned him that some harm would befall him by the Ides. As the story goes, Caesar passed the seer that day on the way to the Curia of Pompey, the location of his doom, and teased him that the Ides had come and he was fine. The seer purportedly responded, "Aye, Caesar; but not gone." This record is probably what gave rise to Shakespeare's "Beware" warning. Note that Shakespeare moved the scene of the assassination to the capitol.
Four years later, Julius Caeser's successor Octavian (later Augustus) executed 300 prisoners of the civil war that followed the assassination -- on the Ides of March, at the site of an altar that had recently been dedicated to Julius. Beware the Ides of March, indeed. Sourced from Wikipedia We give you, THE BEATLES! In Pyramus and Thisbe (the play within A Midsummer Night's Dream), from 1964:
COA Youth & Family Centers, our hosts at Kadish Park, recently held their annual fundraiser. Part of that event included the video below, created to show the organizations supporters the great work that their donations are doing.
At around the 4:00 mark, you'll find that the presence of Shakespeare in the Park is offered as one of their recent achievments! It goes by quickly -- but, of course, they have a lot of ground to cover in a short time. When we conceived of free Shakespeare in the Park, it was always with the expectation that it would bring the entire community together, people from all walks of life, to enjoy a cultural/educational/entertainment experience, regardless of the ability to pay. To play an active part in the revitalization of a neighborhood is icing on the cake! So, enjoy. And thank YOU, COA for the opportunity to partner with you toward the common good! #WeAreCOA!
A taste of what's to come this summer at Shakespeare in the Park, courtesy of the outrageously charming Shayne Steliga who will portray Lysander.
 Warm weather events like the annual UPAF Ride for the Arts seem a long way off, still...but it's only about six weeks away. The ride is on May 31 this year, so it's time for volunteers to offer their services to make this impressive fundraiser happen.
Why should fans of Shakespeare in the Park care? Aside from some of them being cyclists, the event raises funds for arts organizations in Milwaukee AND raises the profile of the arts. For those of us who already recognize the importance a thriving art community to the life of our city, it may be easy to forget that this isn't a universal level of awareness. So, a highly visible (and fun!) event that reminds people through both it's pre-ride advertising and the ride itself that art is all around, but that it requires funding helps us all out. But, here's the crux of it for us. We are a UPAF Affiliate organization. That means that we receive additional grant funds from them for each volunteer hour that we are credited with contributing. There are loads of opportunities, a few of them before the ride and many of them on the day of. Look over the list and register yourself as a volunteer, being sure to pick Optimist Theatre from the drop-down menu of Affiliate Organizations (not corporations, which is the box below Affiliates). In addition, please let Susan Fry know that you have registered. In keeping a master list at our end, we can ensure that every registration (and, therefore, every volunteer hour) counts in our favor! The route sentry opportunities are super choices for groups/teams, so grab a buddy and register today! |
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