NWC theatre to present Shakespeare for kids

Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, adapted for children, will be presented by Northwestern College theatre Sept. 30 and Oct. 7–8 at 7 p.m.; there will also be a matinee performance Oct. 1 at 4 p.m., during the college’s Homecoming celebration. The one-hour comedy will be presented in the Allen Theatre.

The cast is also presenting A Midsummer Night’s Dream to schoolchildren every Tuesday and Thursday from Sept. 29 to Nov. 10.

Northwestern theatre alumna Rachel Foulks, who is a sabbatical replacement for professors Jeff and Karen Barker, is directing the family-friendly production. Foulks earned an M.F.A. in directing from the University of South Dakota in May. She recently directed The Ugly Duckling, presented by the Children’s Theatre Company of South Dakota (now known as the Dakota Players).

Foulks says the adaptation she’s directing is “Shakespeare for kids—of all ages. Even adults who think they’re not fans of Shakespeare will find this version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream—with its mistaken identities and mischievous fairies—clever, funny and magical,” she says.

The four cast members will play multiple roles. Among the roles each will play are the befuddled lovers Hermia, played by Shelby Vander Molen, Pella, Iowa; Lysander, played by Isaiah Custer, Lake City, Minn.; Demetrius, played by Tiemen Godwaldt, Mishawaka, Ind.; and Helena, played by Ali Sondreal, Huron, S.D.

Tickets for A Midsummer Night’s Dream are $7 for adults and $4 for students. The DeWitt Theatre box office opens Sept. 19 for Theatre Patrons; it is open Sept. 20 through Oct. 8 for the general public.

Tickets can be reserved by visiting the box office between 4 and 9 p.m. Monday through Friday or between noon and 5 p.m. on Saturday. The box office can also be reached by phone, 712-707-7098, or e-mail, boxoffice@nwciowa.edu.