Rock Valley College and Starlight Theater present Shakespeare in the park for the Rockford community and RVC students.
Starlight’s rendition of the high-comedy “Twelfth Night,” directed by Kevin Poole, was held between the 20th and 28th of September on the Ray Castle Stage. Tickets were available both online and by phone.
The event was free to attend and watch, though their rule was to pay what you think it is worth. Donations were also accepted but not mandatory. The mentality was to bring your own lawn chairs and blankets, get cozy on a cool autumn night, and enjoy some theater. There were also multiple fire pits and outdoor heaters available to ensure warmth and comfort. Some snacks and refreshments were being sold as well.
Last year marked the start of their “Shakespeare in the Park” tradition with the play, “The Taming of the Shrew.” The event’s crowds were bigger than expected, so plans were made this year to keep the magical nights coming.
The director, Kevin Poole, has had a great time putting it together. He is more in the lines of acting when it comes to theater but when the opportunity showed itself, he dove right into it. Kevin went on to say, “One of the best parts about being director is telling other actors what to do, or at least give them a suggestion and see where they take it.”
A question arose. What is the most important thing to communicate to the audience? He had this to say, “If they enjoy the performance half as much as we did putting it together, then we’ve enjoyed it twice as much as the audience.”
Starlight’s rendition of “Twelfth Night” was set in the 1920’s and included accurate costumes and actors who brought the essence of the era to life. The actors seemed to very much enjoy having the dark of the night to help them perform.
“…it does make it different performing at night versus in the day. Because when it’s at night, the lights are so bright you can’t really see the audience, versus the day, you are working with natural light and it’s very easy to see the audience. So, it’s harder to stay in the moment during the day…” “Twelfth Night” Actor — Sean Peterson
Chris explained how this all came about because many people in the theater department and the community, really had a passion for Shakespeare. This event is a good outlet for both Shakespeare and acting enthusiasts alike. While also providing a perfect event for Rockford residents or RVC students to enjoy nature and experience Shakespeare.
Their future plans are to look for new spots around the RVC campus to host different venues for specific settings for those plays.
Chris Brady runs all the happenings around the theater department at RVC, though this year he handed the “Shakespeare in the Park” directing task to Kevin Poole.
Chris wasn’t planning on being a part of the cast at all until his oldest daughter showed interest. This was the first Shakespeare play that Chris had done in his early years, and now, this will be his daughter’s first Shakespeare play as well.
