Theater unites CSB+SJU community

Despite recent hardships in light of the Academic Prioritization Plan, the CSB+SJU Theater Department is here to stay.

In the coming weeks, the department will return to the Gorecki Theater with their production of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” the largest play the program has performed since the start of the COVID pandemic.

This isn’t the first time the play has been performed at CSB+SJU. The first campus performance of Shakespeare’s well-known comedy dates back to 1953, with subsequent performances in 1977, 2005 and now in 2023.

A total of 16 actors play 20 roles throughout the production, with twice as many students working behind the scenes.

SJU senior Ben Martin is finishing his theater major and serves as the stage manager for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Hoping to go into either set design or stage management after graduation, he believes the experience he’s gained by working on the technical side of the performance will prove useful long after his time at CSB+SJU.

“There is a certain degree of exposure necessary to be successful in fields like theater,” Martin said. “It has been great to supplement my work in the classroom with the actual experience of putting on a show, including the light work, sound cues, overseeing props and taking notes about things that need to be adjusted.”

The collaborative process does not stop there. Director Sean Dooley believes larger productions foster a sense of connection between the actors, stage crew and members of the audience. Since the production is returning to the Gorecki Theater, the department has room to create a larger, more elaborate set than in recent years.

“This year we are lucky to have a scenic designer on staff who enables us to craft a larger physical world. Combined with the skills and delivery of the actors, we hope to create a space of universal understanding,” Dooley said. “When you are part of an audience, you laugh alongside other people, and that fosters a sense of shared experience. [Theater] provides human beings with a new perspective rich in depth and color that they otherwise wouldn’t have.”

The actors have been encouraged to infuse elements of their own personality into their characters as well. This technique, Dooley finds, is cathartic to both actors and audience members and promotes an understanding of Shakespeare that individuals may be skeptical of at first.

“Initially, there is a sense of distance with Shakespeare. Students tend to assume his writing is vastly different from their own lives,” Dooley said. “Actually, however, the characters in the play share many of the same qualities as you and me. It is about digging into your own experiences to further understand what Shakespeare is saying about his characters.”

CSB senior Asher Blancas-Pedrosa plays Puck, a mischievous fairy who serves the fairy King Oberon throughout the duration of the play. They find that Puck shares many of their own personality traits, which are enhanced in the performance.

“Both Puck and I are very silly, so I just leaned into that in my interpretation,” Blancas-Pedrosa said. “Comedies like this one are so important to our campus community, especially when students are dealing with the stressors of classes and finals. When I come to rehearsal, I am surrounded by a great group of people who love to laugh and make others laugh as well.”

For many people involved in putting on “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” the meaning of the performance transcends the confines of the stage. An email from the President’s Office on Feb. 24 announced a series of changes to the academic offerings at CSB+SJU. The theater department was one of a handful of programs that were required to phase out their major.

Despite this, students continue to rally and demonstrate their support for the arts. SJU junior Ethan Riddle is a peace studies major on the pre-med track and is no stranger to the theater department, acting in performances such as “Small Mouth Sounds” and “On the Verge” during his time at CSB+SJU. Playing Lysander in “Midsummer” reminds him of the importance of taking time to experience the arts.

“It is so easy to get consumed by the stress of academics. Prioritizing theater reminds me that I have three hours every night to unwind, have fun and truly enjoy myself,” Riddle said. “Programs in the arts, especially theater, create well-wounded students and members of society.”

In the coming months, Dooley hopes to continue increasing the presence of theater on campus. Both he and Martin emphasize getting involved, whether through attending a performance with your friends, auditioning for roles or becoming part of the crew.

“We lost our major, and we are still here,” Dooley said. “And we will continue to be here–whether we are enriching the college experience or providing something unattainable through the traditional academic experience. The arts on campus are here to stay.”

Performances of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will take place Nov. 9-12 and Nov. 16-18. Tickets are available on the Fine Arts Series website.