Folger Theatre presents Shakespeare's magical comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream at the National Building Museum

Folger Theatre returns to live performances with "A Midsummer Night's Dream" inside the Great Hall of the National Building Museum in Washington, DC. 90-minute, no intermission, family-friendly staging of Shakespeare's magical and romantic comedy. Performances are July 12 - August 28, 2022.

WASHINGTON, May 25, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Folger Theatre presents Shakespeare's magical comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream at the National Building Museum

Folger Theatre returns!

Constructs theater inside the National Building Museum to bring Shakespeare for all ages in a majestic Midsummer Night at the Museum

Folger Theatre returns to live performances this summer with one of William Shakespeare's most magical and beloved comedies, A Midsummer Night's Dream. This romantic and mischievous romp will be produced as part of the National Building Museum's Summer Block Party on stage at The Playhouse that is being built from the ground up inside the Museum's majestic Great Hall.

In the evenings, The Playhouse transforms into the enchanting setting for Folger Theatre's A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Victor Malana Maog. This once-in-a-lifetime production full of yearning lovers, mischievous fairies, and bumbling amateur actors colliding beneath the glowing moon is 90 minutes of sheer delight and romance.

A Midsummer Night's Dream is on stage July 12 – August 28, 2022.

"There's been so much change in our lives, in our world and truly, in our organization," says Folger Director of Programming and Folger Theatre Artistic Director Karen Ann Daniels. "Midsummer represents an opportunity for us all to have some respite through adventure, some magic and romance and joy. Our dynamic cast, led by our fearless leader, director Victor Malana Maog, and his creative team are literally going to carry us to new heights. Most importantly, we'll have this unique opportunity to delight audiences, young, old and everything in between in this venue we are creating from the ground up. It's going to be an incredible summer for the return of Folger Theatre!"

The extraordinary cast features Jacob Ming-Trent (Public Theater's The Merry Wives of Windsor; HBO's documentary Reopening Night) as Bottom, Rotimi Agbabiaka (Macbeth at California Shakespeare Theatre) as Oberon, Danaya Esperanza (Shakespeare Theatre Company's The Merchant of Venice) as Puck; and Nubia M. Monks (Oregon Shakespeare Festival's A Midsummer Night's Dream) as Titania. The production also features Bryan Barbarin (Demetrius), Renea Brown (Helena), John Floyd (Flute), Brit Herring (Snout), Lilli Hokama (Hermia), Jake Loewenthal (Lysander), Shinji Elspeth Oh (Philostrate), John-Alexander Sakelos (Peter Quince), Sabrina Sawyer (Snug), and Kathryn Zoerb (Starveling).

"What a great joy to helm a beloved work that reminds us about the transformative power of love and imagination," says director Victor Malana Maog. "Midsummer at the National Building Museum invites everyone into a timeless world full of laughter, invention, and wonder. This production boasts an incredible mix of stunning local and national artists who have assembled to launch this exciting next chapter in the Folger's contributions to the wild, whimsical, and wholly human possibilities of Shakespeare in 2022."

Four-time Helen Hayes Award winner, Tony Cisek also directed the creation of The Playhouse, which was developed in collaboration with Jim Hunter, Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of South Carolina and South Side Design and Building is responsible for the design and fabrication of the A Midsummer Night's Dream-inspired installation in the Museum's West Court.

The Playhouse will serve as the home for the National Building Museum's Summer Block Party, providing visitors with unique and lively theater-related experiences throughout the day. Behind-the-scenes tours, workshops, sword-fighting demonstrations, face-painting, and other fun activities will be offered daily beginning Saturday, July 2 and running through August 28, 2022.

A Midsummer Night's Dream features original music composed by sound designer Brandon Wolcott, with scenic design by Tony Cisek (The Merry Wives of Windsor and Amadeus at Folger Theatre), costume design by Olivera Gajic (The Conference of the Birds at Folger Theatre), choreography by Alexandra Beller (Sense and Sensibility at Folger Theatre), and lighting design by Yael Lubetzky (Playwrights Horizons' The Moment When). The stage was designed by Jim Hunter (lighting design for Richard III and Julius Caesar at the Folger).

Visitors enter the National Building Museum summer experience through an immersive installation based on Joanna Robson's A Knavish Lad, a double-concertina artists' book from the Folger Shakespeare Library collection that visually narrates every scene from A Midsummer Night's Dream. The book was completed in 2016 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death and the installation allows visitors to step inside its pages.

Visiting The Playhouse during the day and participating in all of the hands-on activities is included with admission to the National Building Museum. Tickets to performances of A Midsummer Night's Dream, are a separate purchase, but include access to Robson's installation.

"Bringing The Playhouse to the National Building Museum, continues our tradition of Summer Block Party installations as a way to activate our iconic Great Hall with joyful cultural programming," says Aileen Fuchs, President and Executive Director of the National Building Museum. "The partnership between the Museum and Folger is an opportunity for each of us to introduce ourselves to new audiences while welcoming back our long-time supporters, presenting them with new experiences. The reimagining of a theater within our space builds upon our 2007 exhibition Reinventing the Globe: A Shakespearean Theater for the 21st Century, allowing us to continue the exploration of how we can innovatively rethink spaces to serve new functions."

A Midsummer Night's Dream is produced in association with the National Building Museum and the University of South Carolina.

Ticketing Information & Performance Dates:     

A Midsummer Night's Dream plays at the National Building Museum from July 12 through August 28, 2022. Performance times are: Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 8pm; Wednesdays at 4pm and 8pm and Saturdays at 4:30pm and 8pm, Sundays at 7:00pm. All performances are accessible for audience members who may require sensory-friendly access to the show. Please check the full performance schedule online.

Tickets are $20 - $85. Lower priced preview performances and discounts for first-time Folger audience members, seniors, military, and groups of ten or more are available and may be purchased from the Folger Theatre Box Office at http://www.folger.edu/theatre or (202) 544-7077. Tickets will be on sale at the National Building Museum Visitor's Center Thursday through Monday from 11am – 4pm beginning in June.

The Playhouse at the National Building Museum can be explored July 2 – August 28, 2022, Thursday – Monday, 11am – 4pm. The Museum is located at 401 F St., NW in Washington, DC.

COVID-19 Safety Protocols:

The safety and health of our community are of utmost importance to us. Folger Theatre's performances of A Midsummer Night's Dream will require the following of audience members to ensure a safe venue for patrons and our artists:

•     Provide proof of vaccination with either an original vaccination card or a clear photo.
•     Wear a well-fitting mask that covers both the nose and mouth at all times inside the theater.

All Folger performers and staff are vaccinated. Folger staff and volunteers on site will be masked at all times. During the performance, performers will not be masked. The 90-minute performance will be held without an intermission. There will be merchandise and concessions sales available for audiences. However, eating or drinking which would require mask removal will not be permitted inside the theater.

Related Programming & Special Events:

Pay-What-You-Can performance is on Tuesday, July 12, 8:00pm. Tickets will be available for sale to the public at 6pm. One ticket per person.

A Pre-Performance Conversation with Folger Director Michael Witmore about Shakespeare's madcap comedy takes place on Wednesday, July 13 at 6:30pm. $20, with discounts available for Folger Shakespeare Library and National Building Museum members.

Folger Theatre's Stage Director Talk will be held on Thursday, July 14 at 6:30pm. Learn about the creative process, staging, and vision of Midsummer with director Victor Malana Maog. $20, with discounts available for Folger and National Building Museum members.

Building the Dream: Setting the Stage for A Midsummer Night's Dream on Monday, July 18 at 6:30pm, with National Building Museum Executive Director Aileen Fuchs and Folger Theatre Artistic Director Karen Ann Daniels moderating a lively conversation about the creation and activation of the theater space. Scenic designer Tony Cisek and stage designer Jim Hunter come together to offer insight into the unique challenges and exciting opportunities afforded by the project.

Two Poetry Workshops will be led by Folger Poetry Coordinator Teri Cross Davis on Friday, July 22 and Friday, August 5 at 6:00pm. Using the themes of dreams and dreaming, participants will study and discuss provided poems in these rich, in-person workshop sessions, and then be guided in the creation of their own work. $45, with discounts available.

Audience members are encouraged to stay and take part in our Post-Show Discussion with the cast of A Midsummer Night's Dream on Thursday, August 4. This interactive discussion, led by Folger's Resident Dramaturg Michele Osherow, will follow the 8:00pm performance.

Spotlight on Design: Renovation of the Folger will take place on Monday, August 8 at 6:30pm. Folger Shakespeare Library Director Michael Witmore and architect Stephen Kieran will discuss the Folger Shakespeare Library's multi-year renovation project currently underway. They will examine what it takes to bring a historically listed 1930s building into the
21st-century.

Folger Theatre's Brews & Banter Pre-Show Talk will be held on Friday, August 12 at 6:30pm. Join in on this off-the-cuff pre-show conversation with select Midsummer cast members. Ticket includes complimentary craft beer, available for tasting at 6pm. $15, with discounts for Folger Shakespeare Library and National Building Museum members.

An Open-Captioned performance will take place on Sunday, August 14 at 7pm.

Please check the Folger website at
http://www.folger.edu/events/midsummer-nights-dream-2022
as events continue to be added to the calendar.

The Midsummer Cast:

Rotimi Agbabiaka (Theseus and Oberon) – Regional: Yale Repertory Theatre: Father Comes Home From the Wars, Parts 1,2, and 3; California Shakespeare Theatre: House of Joy, Macbeth, A Raisin In The Sun; American Conservatory Theater: Father Comes Home From the Wars, Parts 1,2, and 3; Magic Theatre: runboyrun, Sojourners; Marin Theatre Company: Choir Boy; We Players: Julius Caesar, Psychopomp; Shotgun Players: Black Rider; Brava Theater: Bootycandy (Theatre Bay Area Award), An American Ma(u)l; Presidio Theatre: The Magic Lamp; TheatreWorks: Once On This Island. Off-Broadway: Playwrights Horizons: If Pretty Hurts Ugly Must Be a Muhfucka. Film: MANIFESTO, Dayroom.

Bryan Barbarin (Demetrius) – Regional: The La Jolla Playhouse: Get on Board; The Old Globe: On This Spot; Cygnet Theatre: Water by the Spoonful, Parade, The Man of La Mancha; Lambs Players Theatre: Oz, Music Man, Harvey, The Glory Man, Around the World in 80 Days; New Village Arts: Big River; Intrepid Shakespeare Company: Hamlet; San Diego Repertory Theatre: The ThreePenny Opera.

Renea Brown (Helena) – Folger Theatre: The Folger Shakespeare Project. Round House Theatre: Nollywood Dreams; Arena Stage: Change Agent; Quintessence Theatre: The Little Princess; American Shakespeare Center: Much Ado About Nothing, A King and No King, A Chaste Maid in Cheapside; Kennedy Center/Second City: Love Factually; Island Shakespeare Theatre: Othello, Sense and Sensibility, Twelfth Night; Shakespeare Theatre Company: The Tempest; Chesapeake Shakespeare Company: Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth; Brave Spirits Theatre: Coriolanus, Trojan Women Project; Theatre Prometheus: Macbeth, Cymbeline, Good Kids; NextStop Theatre: Pride and Prejudice; Prince George's Shakespeare Festival: The Tempest, As You Like It; Shakespeare Theatre Company Academy for Classical Acting: The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Measure for Measure, As You Like It.

Danaya Esperanza (Puck and Egeus) – Regional: Shakespeare Theatre Company: Romeo and Juliet; Next Chapter Podcasts: Coriolanus; Geva Theatre Radio: The Bleeding Class; Milwaukee Repertory Theater: Mother's Tongue; Acting Company: Letters From Cuba; Arizona Theatre Company: Alma; Denver Center [DCPA]: Alma; New York Stage and Film: Annie Salem . . .; Seattle Rep: Joe Turner Vino y Se Fue; McCarter Theatre: Protect the Beautiful Place; The Goodman Theatre: Another Word for Beauty. Off-Broadway: Theater for a New Audience/Shakespeare Theatre Company: The Merchant of Venice; Play On! Podcasts: Coriolanus; Rattlestick Playwrights Theater/Broadway Podcast Network: Isolated Incidents; Working Theater: Missing Them; National Black Theatre: Bayano; The Public Theater: for colored girls . . ., The Tempest Mobile Unit, Twelfth Night Mobile Unit; CSC/OSF: Play On! Shakespeare; Esperance: Breitwisch Farm; New York Theatre Workshop [NYTW]: Mary Jane, Othello; Playwrights Horizons/Clubbed Thumb: Men on Boats; Soho Rep: Washeteria; Signature Theatre: Our Lady of Kibeho. Film: After Party. Television: The Blacklist, Elementary.

John Floyd (Flute) – Folger Theatre: Macbeth, Antony and Cleopatra, Timon of Athens. Regional: Williamstown Theatre Festival: Unknown Soldier; Trustus Theatre: Marcus: or The Secret of Sweet, Peter and the Starcatcher, Marie Antoinette; Theatre South Carolina: The Three Musketeers, Hamlet, The Trojan Women, The Women of Lockerbie, Ajax in Iraq, Yellowman, King Lear, The Importance of Being Earnest.

Brit Herring (Snout) – Everyman Theatre: Great Expectations; Arena Stage: A Raisin in the Sun; Shakespeare Theatre Company: The Critic & The Real Inspector Hound, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Alchemist; Annapolis Shakespeare Company: Macbeth; Avant Bard: Emilie: La Marquise Du Chatelet Defends Her Life Tonight; Washington Stage Guild: Red Herring, The Apple Cart, Back to Methuselah, Hard Times, Inventing Van Gogh; Off-Broadway: The Devil and Billy Markham, In Paradise. Brit is a member of The Marble Hearts, a local rockabilly band.

Lilli Hokama (Hermia) – Folger Theatre: Amadeus. Regional: Colorado Springs Fine Arts: Guadalupe in the Guest Room; Dallas Theatre Center/The Old Globe: Little Women; Lincoln Center Theater: The Wolves (u/s); Baltimore Center Stage: Antigone; Dixon Place: Greenland; Kitchen

Theatre Company: Matt and Ben; Chester Theatre Company: Now Circa Then, I and You; Colorado Shakespeare Festival: Troilus and Cressida, The Taming of the Shrew; Aurora Fox Arts Center: The Arabian Nights, She Kills Monsters; Local: first reading of The Rape of the Sabine Women by Grace B. Matthias; New works: The Wave That Set the Fire, Companions LLC; Theatre Esprit Asia: Coming To America, Foundations. Television: Prodigal Son.

Jake Loewenthal (Lysander) – Regional: Shakespeare Theatre Company: Our Town; Signature Theatre: She Loves Me, Rent. Hartford Stage: Macbeth, La Dispute; Trinity Repertory Company: A Christmas Carol; Quintessence Theatre Group: Dreams and Madness Rep, King Lear; Playhouse on Park: Cabaret; Theater at Monmouth: Henry V, Richard III, Dial M For Murder; Short North Stage: Bad Jews, The Rocky Horror Show, Noises Off (director); Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre: Young Frankenstein. Off-Broadway: NY Fringe & Encores: Bunked; NYMF: Open the Dark Door.

Jacob Ming-Trent (Bottom) – Broadway: Hands on a Hardbody (original cast), Shrek the Musical (original cast). Off-Broadway: The Public Theater: The Merry Wives of Windsor, Father Comes Home from the Wars, Parts 1, 2, and 3 (Lucille Lortel Award), Cymbeline, Twelfth Night, The Tempest. Red Bull: The Alchemist (Lucille Lortel Award nomination). Lincoln Center Theater: On the Levee; Theater for a New Audience: The Merchant of Venice, A Midsummer Night's Dream; The Acting Company: The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Film: Superfly, The Forty-Year Old Version; R#J; The Possession of Hannah Grace. Television: Watchmen; White Famous; Ray Donavan; Feed the Beast; Only Murders in the Building; New Amsterdam; God Friended Me.

Nubia M. Monks (Hippolyta and Titania) – The Guthrie: A Raisin in the Sun; Ten Thousand Things: The Comedy of Errors; Women's Theatre Festival: Othello; Oregon Shakespeare Festival: A Midsummer Night's Dream, How To Catch Creation, Hairspray; The Old Globe: A Midsummer Night's Dream; La Jolla Playhouse: Wild Goose Dreams; A Guthrie Experience 2017: Incurable: A Fool's Tale; University of California, San Diego: La Bête, Damascus, Native Son, The Taming of the Shrew, Are You There?, What of the Night?, A Raisin in the Sun, 53% Of. UPCOMING Scratchpad Series Playwright at The Playwrights Realm. Awards: 2021–2022 Jerome Fellowship at the Playwrights' Center. M.F.A., Acting, University of California, San Diego; A Guthrie Experience; B.A., Religion, Vanguard University.

Shinji Elspeth Oh (Philostrate) – Prague Shakespeare Company: She Wolf, Twelfth Night.

John-Alexander Sakelos (Peter Quince) – Folger Theatre: Antony and Cleopatra (u/s); Regional: Shakespeare Theatre Company/ACA Repertory: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Coriolanus. New York: Hamlet Isn't Dead: Much Ado About Nothing; Hip2Hip Theatre: Troilus and Cressida. Tours: The Lightning Thief, The Gershwin's Real Magic. International: The Hydrama Theatre: The Eumenides-Hydra; Film: Flowers by Peter. Television: Answers to Everything.

Sabrina Sawyer (Snug) – National tour: National Players (Olney Theatre Center): A Midsummer Night's Dream, A Raisin in the Sun.

Kathryn Zoerb (Starveling) – Folger Theatre: Amadeus, The Second Shepherds' Play (u/s), The Way of the World (u/s); Taffety Punk Theatre Company: suicide.chat.room, At a Loss; Rep Stage: A Young Lady of Property; WSC Avant Bard: King Lear; The Puppet Co: Rapunzel; Faction of Fools Theatre Company: Missed Connections, Bean & Widge Go to the Park, Foolish Fridays Seasons 1 & 2, Our Town, The Miser, The Cherry Orchard, The Great Commedia Hotel Murder Mystery, Foolish Fairytales; Brave Spirits Theatre: 'Tis Pity She's a Whore, A King and No King; Imagination Stage: The Night Fairy (u/s); Baltimore Shakespeare Factory: Romeo and Juliet, Othello, Macbeth, The Tempest, The Taming of the Shrew, The Merchant of Venice, The Winter's Tale, Love's Labor's Lost.

The Creative Team:

Victor Malana Maog (Director) – American Conservatory Theater: Her Portmanteau; California Shakespeare Theatre: Macbeth; Magic Theatre: In Old Age (world premiere); Drury Lane: South Pacific; Marriott Theatre: West Side Story; Laguna Playhouse: Kim's Convenience (upcoming); Williamstown: Cyrano, White People; Off Broadway: 2g/New Ohio: Galois; Ohio Theater: Tempest; Disney Parks Live Entertainment; ABC/Disney Casting Project; Associate/Assistant Director: Second Stage: Metamorphoses, Tiny Alice, The Public Theater: Mom, How Did You Meet the Beatles? (world premiere). Awards: NEA/TCG Directing Fellowship; Second Stage's Van Lier Directing Fellowship, Cornerstone Theatre Company's Alvater Fellowship; VCCA Sweet Briar Fellow; TCG SPARK Leader; American Theatre Magazine's inaugural "People to Watch."

Tony Cisek (Scenic Design) – Folger Theatre: The Merry Wives of Windsor, Amadeus, Nell Gwynn, Davenant's Macbeth, Antony and Cleopatra, Timon of Athens, District Merchants, Mary Stuart, Richard III, Twelfth Night, Henry V, The Taming of the Shrew, Othello (2011, 2002), Henry VIII, Much Ado About Nothing (2009, 1998), The School For Scandal, The Tempest (2007, 2000), Romeo and Juliet (2005, 1997), Elizabeth the Queen, As You Like It (2001), Shakespeare's R & J, Hamlet (1999); Folger Consort: The Second Shepherds' Play (2016, 2007), Comus. DC theater: Arena Stage, Ford's Theatre, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Round House Theatre, Signature Theatre, Theater J, Theater Alliance, The Kennedy Center. Regional: Guthrie Theater, Goodman Theatre, Alliance Theatre, Denver Center Theatre Company, South Coast Repertory, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Portland Center Stage at The Armory, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Intiman Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Syracuse Stage, Berkshire Theatre Group. Off-Broadway: Roundabout Theatre Company: Beyond Glory; New York Theatre Workshop: columbinus.

Olivera Gajic (Costume Design) – Folger Theatre: The Conference of the Birds (Helen Hayes Award nomination). Olivera has more than 150 theater, opera, dance and film productions to her credit. Notable productions: Jedermann (Salzburg Festival, Austria); The Long Christmas Dinner (American Symphony Orchestra); God's Ear (Vineyard Theatre); The Americans and The Greeks (The Juilliard School Drama Division); Don Giovanni; A Midsummer Night's Dream; Le Comte Ory (The Juilliard School Opera Division); Superterrenian, Chekhov Lizardbrain, Twelfth Night (Pig Iron); Ivanov, Uncle Vanya, Platonov, Seagull (Lake Lucille); Film I am a Seagull (Lake Lucille, Chekhov Project Company). Regional: American Repertory Theatre; Arden Theatre Company; Trinity Repertory Company; Hartford Stage; Huntington Theatre; Berkshire Theatre Festival; Long Wharf; Two Rivers; Riverside Theatre; Alabama Shakespeare; Playmakers Repertory Company; Alabama

Shakespeare; California Shakespeare Theatre; Shakespeare Santa Cruz; Theatre Works; American Stage, among others. Exhibitions: U.S. national exhibit at the 2004 & 2007 Prague Quadrennial and Curtain Call: Celebrating a Century of Women Designing for Live Performance (Lincoln Center). Recipient of the 2004 NEA/TCG CDP for Designers, 2010 IT Award for Outstanding Costume Design, 2010 TDF/Irene Sharaff Young Master Award, 2012 Barrymore Award for Outstanding Costume Design, and the 2014 Bessie Award Recipient for Outstanding Visual Design.

Yael Lubetzky (Lighting Design) – Regional: 5th Avenue Theater: BLISS; Paramount Theatre: Cabaret (Jefferson Award nomination); American Conservatory Theatre: Her Portmanteau; Drury Lane: Evita, South Pacific, West Side Story; Riverside Theatre: Carousel, Million Dollar Quartet, Joe's Café, Chicago; Milwaukee Rep: West Side Story; Syracuse Stage: The Three Musketeers; Arkansas Rep: Les Misérables, Native Gardens, August Osage County, Bridges of Madison County; Trinity Rep: The Piano Lesson, FALL, A Preface to The Alien Garden; The Children's Theatre Co: Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse; TUTS: Elf; Pioneer Theatre CO: The Will Rodger's Follies. Broadway: Russel Simmons Def Poetry Jam (Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event). Off Broadway: The New Group: Downtown Race Riot; The Public Theater: Old-Fashioned Prostitutes (A True Romance); Playwrights Horizons: The Moment When. NEA/TCG Designer Grant recipient.

Brandon Wolcott (Sound Design and Original Music) – The Shed: Dragon Spring, Phoenix Rise; 600 Highwaymen: The Record, The Fever. Off-Broadway: Counting Sheep (3LD); Dance Nation, The Profane (@Playwrights Horizons) Venus, Everybody, Signature Plays (Signature Theater); Coriolanus, Hit the Wall (Barrow Street); Kill Floor (LCT3); The Nether (Lortel nomination, MCC); Good Person of Szechwan, Titus Andronicus (Public Theater); Habeas Corpus, Kiss the Air (Park Avenue Armory). Collaborations with Marina Abramovic, Laurie Anderson, David Byrne, Faye Driscoll, Nicolas Jaar, Elizabeth Streb, Woodshed Collective, Jane Comfort, Red Bull, New Georges, Clubbed Thumb and many more.

Alexandra Beller (Choreographer) – Folger Theatre: Sense and Sensibility, As You Like It. Off-Broadway and Touring: Sheen Center/Judson Gym/American Repertory Theatre/Portland Center Stage: Sense and Sensibility (Helen Hayes Award, Lucille Lortel nomination, IRNE Best Choreography); Off-Broadway: 59E59: The Mad Ones; Duke Theatre: Bedlam's Peter Pan; Lincoln Center Theatre: How to transcend a happy marriage; Regional: Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival: The Two Gentlemen of Verona, As You Like It; Taylor Mac: The Young Ladies of…; HERE: Chang(e); Contemporary American Theater Festival/Milwaukee Repertory Theater: Antonio's Song; La MaMa/La Jolla Playhouse/touring: Fandango for Butterflies (and Coyotes); Directing/Choreographing: Make Thick My Blood, an adaptation of Macbeth (Opening Off Broadway July 2022). Artistic Director of Alexandra Beller/Dances 2002-present: Dance Theatre Workshop, Symphony Space, Jacob's Pillow, 92 St Y, Movement Research, PS 122, Institute for Contemporary Art, Russia, Poland, Korea, US touring. BFA/MFA Dance, CMA (Certified Movement Analyst in Laban Movement Analysis and Bartenieff Fundamentals). Faculty at Princeton University.

Chelsea Pace (Intimacy Choreographer) – Woolly Mammoth: A Strange Loop, Hi Are You Single; Studio: John Proctor is the Villian, White Noise; Signature: Detroit '67, RENT, Daphne's Dive; Arena: Seven Guitars; Chesapeake Shakespeare: Measure for Measure, Dracula, Love's Labours Lost, Diary of Anne Frank. Broadway: Lyceum Theatre: A Strange Loop; Off-Broadway: The Shed: Help; INTAR: Bundle of Sticks; Film: The Tender Bar, Forever Tonight, Good Taste. Television: Harlem, RAMY, A League of Their Own (forthcoming), The Best Man-Final Chapters (forthcoming). Kennedy Center Gold Medallion 2021.

Michele Osherow (Dramaturg) – Folger Theatre: The Merry Wives of Windsor, Amadeus, 1 Henry IV (2019, 2008), Love's Labor's Lost, Nell Gwynn, King John, Macbeth (2018, 2008), The Winter's Tale (2018, 2009), The Way of the World, Antony and Cleopatra, Timon of Athens, As You Like It, Sense and Sensibility, District Merchants, A Midsummer Night's Dream (2016, 2006), texts&beheadings/ElizabethR, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Mary Stuart, Julius Caesar; Fiasco Theater Company: The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Richard III, Romeo and Juliet (dramaturg and actor), Twelfth Night, Henry V, The Conference of the Birds, The Taming of the Shrew, The Gaming Table, Othello (2011, 2001), Cyrano, The Comedy of Errors, Henry VIII, Hamlet, Orestes: A Tragic Romp, Much Ado About Nothing, Arcadia, The Tempest, Measure for Measure (dramaturg and actor). Associate Professor of English at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

About Folger Theatre and Folger Shakespeare Library:     

Folger Shakespeare Library is the world's largest Shakespeare collection, the ultimate resource for exploring Shakespeare and his world. The Folger welcomes millions of visitors online and in person. It provides unparalleled access to a huge array of resources, from original sources to modern interpretations. With the Folger, you can experience the power of performance, the wonder of exhibitions, and the excitement of path-breaking research. The Folger offers the opportunity to see and even work with early modern sources, driving discovery and transforming education for students of all ages.

The award-winning Folger Theatre in our nation's capital bridges the arts and humanities through transformational performances and programming that speak inclusively to the human experience. Now under the leadership of Artistic Director Karen Ann Daniels, Folger Theatre continues its legacy through exciting interpretations and adaptations of Shakespeare and expands the classical canon through cultivating today's artists and commissioning new work that is in dialogue with the concerns and issues of our time. Folger Theatre thrives both on its historical stage and in the community, engaging audiences wherever they happen to be.

During a multiyear building renovation, join the Folger online and on the road. Learn more at folger.edu.

Sponsors:

Folger Theatre's A Midsummer Night's Dream is supported by the Share Fund, the William Abell Foundation, with additional funding from the University of South Carolina Excellence Initiative, a grant program that promotes transformative teaching, research, creative activity, and community engagement.

Season Sponsors —        
Maygene and Steve Daniels, Helen and David Kenney and Family, and the late Neal T. Turtell

Contributing Sponsor — Gail Kern Paster

The Playhouse at the National Building Museum is generously supported by presenting sponsor AARP and lead sponsor CoStar.

Press Performances:

Members of the press who wish to cover the production are invited to the press performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream on Sunday, July 17 at 7:00pm or on Wednesday, July 20 at 8:00pm. Please reserve seats through Peter Eramo, Jr., Events Publicity & Marketing Manager, by phone at 540.226.7385 or via email at [email protected].

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Press Contacts:
Peter Eramo, Jr., 202.675.0344 / [email protected]
Garland Scott, 202.675.0342 / [email protected]

SOURCE Folger Theatre