Summer starts when the cicadas swarm, but the official “summer is here” moment is when Cincinnati Shakespeare Company starts its Shakespeare in the Park tour. Now that the cicadas are gone, it’s time to grab a picnic blanket and some friends and head out to one of nearly 40 regional parks to enjoy A Midsummer Night’s Dream by the bard himself, William Shakespeare.
“There’s something in it for everyone,” said director Candice Handy in an interview with CityBeat. “It is truly the perfect comedy and play. There’s romance, trickery, magic and drama. There’s fighting, Shakespearean clowns and a play within the play.”
Midsummer follows three stories: a love triangle, fairies fighting in the woods and a rehearsal for a play. The various plots come together for [spoiler alert] … a happy ending.
Shakespeare in the Park productions differ from Cincy Shakes’ mainstage shows. The script is edited to keep the runtime to a manageable two hours, including an intermission; much shorter than the latest summer blockbuster. “It’s a very grassroots, guerilla way to do theater,” said Handy. “It stretches and strengthens my directing muscle because I have to think of creative ways to tell the story without all the bells and whistles.”
Each actor takes on multiple roles in Midsummer — some taking on as many as four characters. “At the beginning of each show, everyone introduces themselves, their name and their roles,” said Handy. “As they say the role, they do a gesture so you know every time you see it that they’re in that character.” The cast — Eva Olivia Catanzariti, Imani Derden, Cameron Nalley, Jason Pavlovich, Cassandra C. Reeves and Colin Waters – hails from Chicago, North Carolina and Cincinnati, with experience on the Cincy Shakes mainstage, Fringe Festival and other regional theaters.
The outdoor setting limits the technical resources available for performances. There are some audio effects, but sunshine and lightning bugs provide the lighting, until late summer when dusk starts earlier, requiring artificial lights so audiences can see the cast and stage. “Things that you do with tech on the mainstage, here you do with the actors’ bodies and voices,” said Handy. “But we have nature. It’s nice to be out in the elements. There’s a magical thing about that because you have a lot less control, an airplane flying over or a bird landing in the middle of a scene, actors don’t ignore nature when it happens. Traditionally, Shakespeare’s troupe would improvise, being outside opens doors for improv and magic to happen.”
The cast travels with a stage manager who runs the show and also manages the company. Everyone on the team has a responsibility, from dealing with laundry to coordinating props. They arrive, assemble the set, making adjustments as needed to fit the space, put on the show, then dismantle the set and get ready to do it all again the next day. Everything is designed for this marathon of 38 performances over 51 days.
“We want the costumes to look beautiful, but it has to be practical,” said Handy. “It can be really hot when they’re performing. This Midsummer is ancient Athens meets the summer of love, so there’s flowy togas and a 1960s music type of vibe.” With actors playing multiple roles, and most of the scenes requiring all of the actors on stage, costumes are also designed for a quick change with plenty of Velcro and fast snaps. “I have to create a framing device to get the audience to look at something else when there’s a quick change,” said Handy. “I have fun transition ideas to cover, once the actors are together, we’ll figure it out. It’s a lot about personalities and discovering who is a good dancer, singer or has other skills.”
Shakespeare’s language may feel too challenging for the season of beach reads, relaxing and ice cream, but the words come alive with actors on stage. “Shakespeare is no different than acting a modern text,” said Handy. “When an actor can make the language their friend, the audience experience is great. And it’s my job to give a visual context for what is going on, so even if the audience doesn’t get everything that’s said they can follow it visually. Gestures indicate how a character is feeling. I use a lot of that when directing.”
Shakespeare in the Park is intended to be accessible and eliminate as many barriers to participation as possible. With performances in ten counties in three states, Cincy Shakes is bringing live theater to dozens of communities, and it’s free. There are no reservations, tickets or assigned seats. So, an evening out can be a spontaneous decision.
“That’s what I love about the park tour,” said Handy. “The audience may not have been to the mainstage shows. It’s a picnic. They bring the kids and the dog. At some venues, like Washington Park, there might be a bar — others have food trucks. People just passing by who’ve never seen Shakespeare or even a play before, stop and watch, and will really respond to it. Actors love when people get responsive. There’s something about being outside where people are more willing to engage with it.”
Each location does have its own policies about parking, dogs, outside food and drinks. So, before heading out, it’s advised to check the venue website. Some performances are ASL interpreted and all performances are family-friendly. Since the performances are outside, weather may require a delayed start time or performance cancellation; Cincy Shakes provides updates on their social media.
For additional information on the Shakespeare in the Park tour of A Midsummer Night’s Dream performances from July 11-Aug. 31, visit cincyshakes.com.
This story is featured in CityBeat’s July 23 print edition.
This article appears in Jul 9-22, 2025.