Fort Wayne Youtheatre is ending its season with what its directors Todd Espeland & Christopher Murphy call, “a dream come true,” thanks to Espeland’s hilarious and fast-paced adaptation of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream.
The productions, which will all be performed this weekend at First Presbyterian Theater, include a student cast and crew of approximately 33 students, ranging from 10 to 18.
WBOI’s Julia Meek talks with Espeland and Marissa Drew, who plays the lead role of Titania the Fairy Queen, about the pleasure of bringing such a fresh presentation to the stage, and what it’s like to recreate the magic that has enchanted theatregoers for over 400 years.
Their conversation ends with a brief salute to the late, great Harvey Cocks and information about the Youtheatre’s upcoming Memorial Service in Harvey’s honor.
Event Information:
Youtheatre’s Midsummer Night’s Dream
@ First Presbyterian Theater, Fort Wayne
Friday, May 6th, 2022 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 7th 2:00 p.m. & 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 8th 2:00 p.m.
Sensory Friendly Performance:
Sunday, May 8th 4:30 p.m.
Harvey Cocks Memorial Service @ the Embassy Theatre, Fort Wayne
Sunday, May 15th 2022
You can find more information about play tickets and memorial service details at the Fort Wayne Youtheatre website.
Julia Meek: Todd Espeland, Marissa Drew, welcome.
Todd Espeland: Hi.
Marissa Drew: Hi.
Julia Meek: So everything's coming up Shakespeare in your world... a Midsummer Night's Dream come true, eh?
Todd Espeland: Yeah.
Julia Meek: In case someone's not familiar with this love potion-fueled comedy, as you call it how's about a one sentence scenario?
Todd Espeland: So there is a group of young people who are kind of in love with each other, and they run off to the forest to run away, the king and queen of the fairies, which are more like nature gods they're ar guing in the middle of the forest. And there's a group of actors who are putting on a rehearsal in the middle of the forest. And it's all on a midsummer night's evening, and there is magic and spells and wackiness ensues.
Julia Meek: Well that sounds like something no one would ever want to miss to be sure, Todd, thank you for that. This isn't the first time you've directed or your group has done Shakespeare, I have to assume?
Todd Espeland: No, I've done quite a bit of Shakespeare on my own. I've done quite a bit of Shakespeare with youth. And actually, this is the second time we've done Midsummer Night's Dream. When I first started here, we did a small tour to libraries of a really edited version of Midsummer that I wanted to do in my first year as sort of proof of concept to prove to my board and doubters that you can do really quality Shakespeare with youth.
Julia Meek: We have no doubt of that either, especially by your own proof, Todd, I am kind of curious, why bring it this year, this way to this stage?
Todd Espeland: Well, Night's Dream is a really fantastic play. There's great roles in it, there's great roles for people to tackle. And one of our big goals was we wanted to start offering more not just for younger actors and younger artists, but for high school artists and high school actors. And it's been really paying off, all of the work that we've been doing aimed at that age group, and this just seems like the perfect place to do for that age group to get them really thrilled with doing Shakespeare plays and working with youth theatre.
Julia Meek: Well, very conveniently, we have you here, Marissa, thank you for being here. Were you familiar with the Bard's work and this particular play when you tried out for it?
Marissa Drew: Yes, I'm a bit of a nerd. I actually really enjoy reading Shakespeare and I had read through Midsummer quite a few times before auditioning. It's one of my favorite Shakespeare shows, so I was very excited.
Julia Meek: Well, fantastic. And it is a delightful show.
Marissa Drew: Yes!
Julia Meek: Did you actually intentionally set your eye on the role of the fairy queen Titania?
Marissa Drew: Actually, when I had read it before, I was pretty set on the character, Helena. I thought if I was going to be in the show, that's where I'd want to be. And then a little bit before my audition, someone mentioned to me that I would make a really great Titania, and it kind of just set a light bulb off. And I was like, Oh, I think that would be a good character for me. So I put down that that's what I had a preference for. And here we are.
Julia Meek: Well, now Todd, might I ask if you agreed with the revaluation of what part might work?
Todd Espeland: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah.
Julia Meek: (chuckles) Very good! So with this play, you also promise, "a hilarious and fast paced hour with your own particular adaptation, which has been given the Youth Theatre treatment." What makes it purely your own brand of fun?
Todd Espeland: Well, we're sort of reimagining this particular show, so that it's really accessible not just to youth nowadays, but to everybody nowadays. So we are setting it in Athens High School, and the lovers, Helena, Hermia, Demetrius, and Lysander, they're all going to be prep school students, Titania and O'Brien are going to actually be creatures of the forest, but their costumes are going to be decorated and festooned with items that you would kind of find scattered around a school because that's what they believed in the Renaissance. They believe that the fairies, these nature gods, would steal things from their homes and wear them. And then the mechanicals, which are these professionals who are putting on a play within a play, they're actually going to be people who work at the school. So lunch ladies, janitors, PE teachers, we're really trying to modernize it and take what was originally kind of the first rom-com and we're just kind of trying to update it so that it's relatable, not just to youth, but to everybody.
Julia Meek: Keeping it hilariously relevant?
Todd Espeland: We are trying to keep it hilariously relevant, but still use Shakespeare's language as a way to move it forward--the comedy and the drama.
Julia Meek: Good for you. Literally, the language?
Todd Espeland: Yeah, we've. we've made very few changes in wording of things. We're really trying to keep the language the same, because it's so accessible. And I know that lots of directors want to say, Oh, it's so accessible, but it really is, and just giving it this new modern context, I think we'll carry that along.
Julia Meek: And Marissa, without leaving your nerdom behind just for one second, how do you feel about getting into the spirit of the play and the dialogue then?
Marissa Drew: Yeah, so Shakespeare can be kind of intimidating, but I think it has been so much fun.
Julia Meek: I'm glad to hear you say that Marissa. And now I'll ask you both, speaking of fun, how much fun is collaborating and creating with the amazing Christopher Murphy on innovative projects just like this?
Todd Espeland: And y ou know, as you know, I love working with Chris. He is the Assistant Director of Youth Theatre, but he's my right arm. He is the spirit of youth theatre, and he's a joy to be around and work with. So when we decided to work on this together, it was a no brainer. We had to do it together.
Marissa Drew: Yes, I adore Christopher Murphy. He's such a gem. (laughs) And especially working with Todd. I mean, they are just a dynamic duo. They're both brilliant and I am so excited to see their visions come to life at the end of this.
Julia Meek: And I love Marissa's assessment. The term Dynamic Duo certainly fits you two, you can let Christopher know that we think that. Now you are actually youth theater's High School intern as well, this year, Marissa. So how long have you been with the group?
Marissa Drew: So I'm actually pretty new to the youth theater family. My first project with them was towards the end of 2020. I was in their production of The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe. So yeah, I'm pretty new. But I guess they liked me, because they welcomed me with open arms. And now I'm their intern,
Julia Meek: Then it's all the more well, a compliment to your credibility as well as your performance to be an intern.
Marissa Drew: Yes, yes!
Julia Meek: How would you say the show is working out as a signature offering this intern year, of your-- senior year--of yours?
Marissa Drew: Yes! I get to work on it just as much as I would with a show that I wasn't actually cast in. So I get to do a lot of things with costuming, I'll pull stuff from the costume shop that I think would look cool. I do like to give other people the chance to work on my costume, just because as an actor, it's so much fun getting your costume. It's like a little surprise. But I'll do a bunch of stuff. I make social media posts for the show to promote it. I made every single one of the scripts, put them together made the copies...stuff like that.
Julia Meek: Okay, so multitasking is certainly a valid job description that you have going in here now. And as a senior, that's pretty cool of an experience isn't it, Todd?
Todd Espeland: We're trying to make our internships so that youth understand that they can see every aspect of working in the theater and understand that it's not just about being on stage, there are multiple jobs in the arts that are vital to making the arts happen. And that's the experience we try and give all of our interns.
Julia Meek: That's just fantastic. And speaking of the crew in general and productions like this, what kind of numbers are we talking right here with the cast and the crew and the costuming and all you have to deal with?
Todd Espeland: Counting cast, crew, all the people who are working technically behind the scenes, it's about 32-3 youth all together that are making this happen. And remember, everybody out there Tech Kids are theater kids. And
Julia Meek: Mmmhmm. And you've got a lot of the high school kids, the younger groups too, so this is a well represented showamong your ranks. And it sounds like it's going to be just wonderful.
Todd Espeland: Our youngest actor is 10. And the oldest is 18.
Julia Meek: Okay, good span. Now, are there any special challenges working with such a classic story? Does the familiarity ever backfire when you change it up and adapt it to suit on something that's this well known?
Todd Espeland: I think some people are, you know, if you change it, if you try and modernize it may be doubtful of that. So you have to make sure you're turning in really good performances and crafting really good performances with your actors. And you have to make sure that the concept that you're putting the play in really makes sense and is logical, and it is germane to the storytelling. And that's what we really try hard to do.
Julia Meek: And it fits pretty well. Marissa, the performance as a whole? Are you feeling the authenticity of it?
Marissa Drew: Yeah, at the end of the day, it's just storytelling. So no matter what the language is, that's what we're trying to get across. And it's just a really beautiful story.
Julia Meek: (chuckles) A great point, the bard himself would probably agree with that. Once again, you are performing on the First Presbyterian Theater stage. How does that intimate and really up close and personal situation work for this story, in particular, Todd?
Todd Espelan: I'm going to say right now, the First Presbyterian Theater is one of the greatest theaters in Fort Wayne. It is a large enough theater to feel like you're on a big stage. And the audience size at just shy of 300 feels like you're playing to a big enough house. But the space itself is this mid century modern gem of a theater, and it actually feels very intimate. It's such a great space because it allows us to have big spectacle onstage, but then it seems so intimate in the theater that you can actually have intimate moments. And it's the perfect size for youth to learn how to work on a stage and really project out and fill a theater with their presence. I know that sounds like a California surfer guru. But it really is performers need to fill the venue they're in. And this is a great space to work in.
Julia Meek: It's quite interesting actually, to hear your assessment of the stage, not to mention the great bunch of folks over there at First Presbyterian Theater...First Presbyterian Church.
Todd Espeland: They're great collaborators, and they're really happy to be working with us and to have our youth there. It's a really nice collaboration and partnership. And it's lovely to get out to all different kinds of places in the community and spread the word and the love of theater.
Julia Meek: More good points. So you are going out with one heck of a fun bang for the season, by the sound of it. And Marissa, you and your twin sister are also getting ready for a new beginning, theatrically, we hear.
Marissa Drew: Yes! We both committed to Ball State, which is very fun. I will be going for theater design, I still get to do a lot of costuming stuff as well as some acting. And she's going more of a graphic design route. So we're very sad to leave. But we're very excited for the journey ahead.
Julia Meek: I would have to echo that sentiment because the city that loves you, and dare I say you theater that loves you will miss you. But oh my goodness, how exciting is that? What do you think of all that, Todd?
Todd Espeland: We're just thrilled. You know, we've been following Marissa and her sister's journey on where they wanted to go to school and trying to help them craft auditions and just talk about the process of what it's like to look for a college theater program where you want to go and it's just great to see her having success and know that she's building a really great foundation for herself for success for the future.
Julia Meek: We certainly wish you well and also encourage you to have the time of your life, you and your sister. We expect you will do that. So what is next on Youth Theatre's agenda, then Todd?
Todd Espeland: So we're gearing up for summer camp time. Right now you can enroll through fortwayneyoutheater.org. We have our Rising Stars Musical Theatre Camp, which is done in collaboration with the Dance Collective, we have actually two weeks of it--one that's June 13th to the 17th, another one that's June 20th through the 24th. We've also got Rising Stars Acting C amp, which is going to be at First Presbyterian Theater, and that's going to be July 11th through the 15th. And then Youth Theatre is actually going to be collaborating with the Embassy Theatre on their Score Program, which is for middle schools only, and the middle school students are going to be creating work from their own words and experiences. And that also begins on July 11.
Julia Meek: You know, those are all fantastic avenues for youth to pursue, of course, with big acting interests and dreams and hopes, but really just for wonderful, wholesome summer fun, a lot of it sounds like. What do you say to kids that might be considering this right now...a reason they might not have thought about this being so much fun?
Todd Espeland: Taking theater classes, especially over summer, it's a chance for you to meet new kids, have a new experience and really understand your untapped potential.
Julia Meek: And Marissa, what would you say to your contemporaries out there that might be thinking, Oh, I wonder what I'm gonna do this summer.
Marissa Drew: It is just so much fun! I've had the pleasure of helping out with some of the summer camps before and it's just clear on every kid's face, they have a blast, and it can really give you a taste of theater without maybe fully committing to an entire show.
Julia Meek: Thank you for that. And now the entire community is certainly saddened by the passing of youth theatre's beloved Harvey Cocks. So a word now on the legacy of the man and his passion. How did Harvey impact the life of youth students? Marissa, why was he so special?
Marissa Drew: Unfortunately, I never got the chance to meet Harvey being very new to Youtheatre, but it is so evident the impact he's had on the entire community, really. We've been going through all the old Youthteatre scrapbooks in the office and scanning them to digitalize them. And there's so many letters writing to Harvey about how he has really changed people's lives, which has been really cool to see.
Julia Meek: Thank you for sharing that. And Todd from an all encompassing perspective, what have those decades of magic and momentum he shared with everyone done and what will his legacy continue to do for our entire community?
Todd Espeland: Harvey's impact on the Fort Wayne theater community is indelible. His passion for youth theatre arts training and his belief that it is so valuable for the social and educational well being of children is indelible. His mark that he has made on even adult theater throughout Fort Wayne has just been so significant, not just in the youth that have trained with him and now it become adults and are running arts organizations. But the whole vision of collaboration for the Fort Wayne arts community really owes a huge debt of gratitude to Harvey Cocks. They say that you know, you achieve success by standing on the shoulders of giants Harvey certainly was a giant and we really owe our success here in Fort Wayne and the arts community to Harvey.
Julia Meek: Todd Espeland, along with Christopher Murphy, is directing Fort Wayne Youtheatre's upcoming production of Midsummer Night's Dream and Marissa Drew is the lead actor in the role of Titania the fairy queen. There will be a memorial taking place for Harvey Cocks on May 15th at the Embassy and we invite you to watch for details on the Youtheatre's website. Meanwhile, Todd, Marissa, thank you for sharing this grand story with us. Do carry it on.
Todd Espeland: Thank you for the opportunity.
Marissa Drew: Thank you.
