On the lawn of the Dunes Theatre, one can see “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at the Dunes Summer Theatre in Michigan City Indiana for free.
At the theatre’s new outdoor venue the setting is the “perfect Place” according to Steve Scott, director of the midsummer performances of the Shakespeare play July 9-25, 2021,
Scott says, “The lawn of the Dunes Theatre has a wonderfully diverse cast of talented young actors is the perfect ensemble for this hysterically funny, utterly romantic comedy.”
Scott is an artistic associate at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre, where he was an award-winning producer for more than 30 years before retiring in 2017. He returns for his third season at Dunes, where he directed The Spitfire Grill in 2018 and Working in 2019. Scott is a board member of the Dunes Arts Foundation.
The ten cast members have come from around the country to perform at the historic Northwest Indiana theatre, now celebrating its 70th anniversary.
Beck Damron graduated this year from the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film in Lincoln, Nebraska with a BA in acting. He plays the role of Puck.
Jay Espanño is a multi-talented actor, writer, director, producer and filmmaker with an MA in film directing from Columbia College Chicago. He played Smudge in this year’s Forever Plaid and plays Lysander in Midsummer.
Emily Franks has a BFA in theatre performance from the University of Idaho. She lives in Washington state and returns to Dunes Summer Theatre to play Helena, after performing in the 2019 production of South Pacific.
Haley Glickman is making her Dunes debut in the dual roles of Egeus and Bottom. She holds a BFA from Marymount Manhattan College.
Jamie Herb is pursuing an MFA in the acting at the DePaul Theatre School and has a BA in English and theatre from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is playing Hypolita.
Caroline McKinzie graduated this year from Lyric Theatre at Illinois and has performed at Shakespeare’s Globe in London. She plays Hermia in Midsummer and is teaching two classes for the Dunes summer theatre children’s program.
Caitlin McNichol will receive a BFA in acting from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. She plays Titania.
Erin Christine Walsh has a BFA in acting from Syracuse University and is based on New York City and Chicago. She has performed at Shakespeare’s Globe in London and at theatres across Europe and the United States. She is a singer, songwriter and voiceover artist. She plays Demetrius.
Lizzie Williams, originally from Cheshire in England, has lived in Chicago since 2012 and is a graduate of Loyola University’s Department of Fine and Performing Arts. She debuts at Dunes in the role of Oberon.
Tito Sanchez-Williams wears many hats at Dunes Summer Theatre. He is the Dunes Arts Foundation artistic director and board member. He directed this year’s Forever Plaid, teaches acting classes for the Dunes summer theatre children’s program, and is playing Theseus in Midsummer. He holds an MFA from the New School for Drama in New York City.
Performances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream take place at 6 pm Central time on Fridays-Sundays, July 9-25. Performances are free and donations are welcome. Reservations are required and can be made at www.dunesARTS.org/tickets.
Audience members are advised to bring lawn chairs. Rental chairs and refreshments will be available. The theatre is located at 288 Shady Oak Drive in Michigan City. For more information visit www.dunesARTS.org.
Susie Young Baxter, CEO, has published PanoramaNOW Magazine for 31 years. Her hobbies are Camping, Boating, Hiking, Nature, Gardening and Outdoor Activities. She is an Artist, Graphic Designer, an Avid Seamstress, Dabbles in Homemade Crafts and Landscaping. Since her Father was a Health Teacher, she also likes homeopathic Health Solutions. Since blogging started over 10 years ago, PanoramaNow has been added to Newsbreak – a national news affiliate.
