​Thank you, Greg Stanford. You are and will be missed.
 
If the outpouring of sentiment and sorrow is any indication, Mr. Gregory Stanford was well-loved and highly regarded by so very many people. Optimist Theatre is right there with them as we mourn his passing on April 8th.
 
Since 2015, Greg served on the Optimist Theatre board of directors, offering insight, support, and sheer good will and enthusiasm. His friendship and mentorship was warm and inspiring.
 
Executive Director Susan Scot Fry remembers meeting Greg for the first time at his art gallery in the Grand Avenue mall. "A fellow former Journal Sentinel reporter and mutual friend introduced us. As we got to know each other, it became apparent that Greg would make an excellent addition to our board of directors and he happily accepted. We had so many things in common – from his love of theater to his devotion to the community."
 
Greg was always one to step up and get involved. In his long career as a columnist, he tackled tough subjects with stories about racial segregation and took the federal justice system to task. Yet, he never lost his wry sense of humor. He saw a lot of things – experienced a lot of change – and always with that sideways smile.
 
Yes, Greg will be missed. Thank you for your service to Shakespeare in the Park and to all of Milwaukee.

You can find Greg's Journal Sentinel obituary here.

Hale and well met, gentle cousins,
​ 
“There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.” (Hamlet, Act 2, sc. 2)
 
February is a special time of year: most of our major grant applications have been submitted and we wait with “bated breath” (Merchant of Venice, Act 1, sc. 3).  In the meantime, Optimist Theatre embraces our name and moves forward.

• Auditions have happened and the casting puzzle is being pieced;
• The production design team is being assembled;
• Community outreach is underway;
• Marketing materials are in design;
• Workshops are happening;
• Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

 
There is a great deal of faith that goes into producing theatre. Launching our 10th season, I find myself meditating on just how much. It was quite an ‘aha’ moment when I began to trust that we always do find a way. How? It’s a mystery. (Shakespeare in Love)
 
This milestone season engenders so much reflection about how far we’ve come, from the quad at Alverno to Kadish Park to the Peck Pavilion. About how much has changed. These reflections inform the perspectives that will take us into the future. Thank you (yes, you...and you...and you, too!) for investing in that!
 
So, what’s next? Even though it was last week, “Good morrow, 'tis Saint Valentine's Day, All in the morn betime, And I a maid at your window, To be your valentine.” (Hamlet, Act 4, sc. 5). The day may pass, but the love remains. ♥♥
 
Until next time,
​
Susan

We will very soon be deep into our production of The Comedy of Errors, with all of the news that related directly to i, so it seems like now is the best time to share some other bits and bobs of Shakespeare news with you:

• From last fall, a sheaf of previously undiscovered John Shakespeare (Will's father) documents were turned up in the UK's National Archives:

We'll be back soon with lots and lots of Comedy of Errors goodness!

As usual, I forgot to get photos... Mea culpa.

I got so wrapped up in having fun with my fellow enthusiasts that I forgot to step back, put on my staff hat, and snap some snaps at the Shakespeare in the Park Member’s Salon* on Friday, November 30th.
 
In homage to 2019’s upcoming production of The Comedy of Errors, the topical topic was “What is Comedy?”

Needless to say there were plenty of laughs that night as we explored what makes us laugh and why. Everyone had a story. So lively was the conversation, there were even some clips shared later on the member’s Facebook page.
 
2019 will mark the 10th anniversary of Shakespeare in the Park. Even more salons, outings and special recognitions are in the works. (Hint, hint – Membership makes a great gift. It’s the gift that gives and gives.)
 
So, this newsletter’s missive from me is a special thanks to all 120 of our Members. We could not offer Shakespeare in the Park for free to 96% of our audience if we didn’t have members. Whether you join for the group activities and special invitations, discounts at local businesses, or just knowing that you can reserve a seat ahead of time for any show date you like, your membership makes a huge difference.
 
Our challenge is to be 300 strong in 2019! Spread the word!
 
Optimistically,
Susan
 
*Special thanks, again, to Founding Members David HB Drake and Jennifer Esh for hosting that salon!

Whether it's holiday gift-giving or year-round everyday shopping, there are a TON of ways you can help fund Shakespeare by just taking a couple of extra steps!

From Abercrombie & Fitch to Zappo's, dozens and dozens of major retailers offer rebates to charitable organizations when you pay via Benefit Mobile.

​
All you need to do is follow the link:
https://www.benefit-mobile.com/causes/FreeShakespeare
And then follow the directions (download the app, add a credit card and/or bank account, look up your retailers before you checkout)

​Check it out and make your donation now at eCards!

You can also find the eCards link from our SHOP page (along with baseball caps, stickers, t-shirts, seat cushions and MUCH MORE!!)

Will in the World
Stephen Greenblatt

The Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalist, reissued with a new afterword for the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death.

A young man from a small provincial town moves to London in the late 1580s and, in a remarkably short time, becomes the greatest playwright not of his age alone but of all time. How is an achievement of this magnitude to be explained? Stephen Greenblatt brings us down to earth to see, hear and feel how an acutely sensitive and talented boy, surrounded by the rich tapestry of Elizabethan life, could have become the world’s greatest playwright.

The Millionaire and the Bard
Andrea May

When Shakespeare died in 1616 half of his plays died with him. No one—not even their author—believed that his writings would last, that he was a genius, or that future generations would celebrate him as the greatest author in the history of the English language. By the time of his death his plays were rarely performed, eighteen of them had never been published, and the rest existed only in bastardized forms that did not stay true to his original language.

Seven years later, in 1623, Shakespeare’s business partners, companions, and fellow actors, John Heminges and Henry Condell, gathered copies of the plays and manuscripts, edited and published thirty-six of them. This massive book, the First Folio, was intended as a memorial to their deceased friend. They could not have known that it would become one of the most important books ever published in the English language, nor that it would become a fetish object for collectors.
The Millionaire and the Bard is a literary detective story, the tale of two mysterious men—a brilliant author and his obsessive collector—separated by space and time. It is a tale of two cities—Elizabethan and Jacobean London and Gilded Age New York. It is a chronicle of two worlds—of art and commerce—that unfolded an ocean and three centuries apart. And it is the thrilling tale of the luminous book that saved the name of William Shakespeare “to the last syllable of recorded time.”

Today it is the most valuable book in the world. Recently one sold for more than five million dollars. It is the book that rescued the name of William Shakespeare and half of his plays from oblivion. The Millionaire and the Bard tells the miraculous and romantic story of the making of the First Folio, and of the American industrialist whose thrilling pursuit of the book became a lifelong obsession.

The rest of the company received the benefit of Lisa’s movement focus when we spent a day working on a method known as the Laban Efforts, a technique and language for describing, visualizing, interpreting and documenting human movement. That may all sound a bit esoteric, but the exercises focus on moving with different purposes: to intimidate or to plead, to please or to frighten.

Set to music, we experimented with this type of purposeful movement in the context of our set, to learn from the interactions that developed organically.

This exercise was incredibly informative for harnessing non-verbal power, a skill that the Knights often had to call upon. Incorporated into the production, I would constantly scan above the audience, alert for any sign of danger to Lear. Libby and I developed nonverbal conversations to express our concerns and plans of action, as we were unable to do so in the King’s presence. This connection made us a team, and strengthened our character work. 

Armed with these skills, I finally received the mark of a true knight: my sword. As soon as I put it on, it affected my posture and presence. Though it’s edges were dull, this very real sword became a physical expression of a knight’s power. My arms no longer rested at my sides; hands placed upon the hilt, I stepped away from myself and into my character. 

This journey exemplified a principal of acting we are always taught: all roles are important. Along with learning text, I was tasked with growing my understanding of physicality, connection and nonverbal expression. There was always work to be done, power to be harnessed. Lisa and the team at SitP made a point to focus on my growth and development, as they did with all of us. My watch may have ended for King Lear, but a Knight’s work is never truly finished. ​

Danielle is an Actor/Educator/Director based in Milwaukee with a Master of Arts in Theater from Kansas State University. In addition to her Shakespeare in the Park debut in King Lear, she has recently worked with Renaissance Theaterworks, Kohl's Wild Theater, Cooperative Performance and Bard and Bourbon.

When not performing, Danielle is a Teaching Artist with First Stage's Education Department and Academy.

Greetings and Welcome to the 10th Anniversary of Shakespeare in the Park!
 
I confess, it’s hard to fathom that 2019 will mark the 10th anniversary of Shakespeare in the Park. How did that happen?
 
About a month before the cheers from the final standing ovation for King Lear became whispers, we started putting together this very special milestone season. The wild and raucous ride that is The Comedy of Errors seems like just the right way to celebrate.
 
Like any organization, there are regular tasks like budgets, balance sheets and board meetings. Specific to SITP19, we are or have already…

• Had post-production meetings with all of our partners and collaborators. We reviewed what we did, what worked, what didn’t and what we’d like to achieve next year.
  • So, The Comedy of Errors will have 12 performances in June and July of 2019 at the beautiful downtown Peck Pavilion!  
  • And, Optimist Theatre is the newest Resident Partner with the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts! I guess they liked what we did these last 2 years… ;-)
    ​
    

• Applying for grants, grants and more grants because, as we all know, Shakespeare in the Park is free to see but far from free to produce.  Funders like BMO Harris, Brico Fund, Isabel and Alfred Bader Foundation, Milwaukee Arts Board, Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Harry & Lynde Bradley Foundation, Jane Bradley Pettit Foundation, Herzfeld Foundation, CAMPAC, Wisconsin Arts Board and a whole host of others make it possible to offer free SITP.
  
  Even with all that foundation firepower, would you be surprised to know that about 1/3 of our funding comes from individual humans like you and me? It’s true! (Thank You!)

 

• Begun assembling our dazzling design team, scheduling auditions, working our script cutting and all that other great pre-production jazz.
  
  Optimist’s own Artistic Director Ron Scot Fry and our longstanding Dramaturge extraordinaire M.L. Cogar are on board to co-direct The Comedy of Errors. Together, they make a powerhouse of skills in physical comedy and insightful wordplay. Ron's last directorial work for SITP was our lively homage to the summer of love, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. M.L. helmed The Winter's Tale as sole director, and more recently co-directed Julius Caesar.

 
There’s so much more that happens in the baker’s dozen of months it takes to create Shakespeare in the Park for 3,500-4,000 people each summer. In newsletters to come, I’ll share more insights about what and how we’re doing. In the meantime, it’s not too early to gather your confetti, plan your picnic and get ready to party next summer!
 
Optimistically,
Susan
 
Susan Fry is the Executive Director for Optimist Theatre. Contact her at ssfry@optimisttheatre.org. Most of the time, she works alone and talks to her dog. Your email would be a welcome human interaction!
 
“We came into the world like brother and brother,
And now let's go hand in hand, not one before another.”
                                                                The Comedy of Errors, Act 5, sc 1