In March and April, productions at the Kalamazoo Civic Theatre will range from the poignant Irish drama Dancing at Lughnasa to the whimsical Seussification of a Midsummer Night’s Dream. On Let's Hear It with Cara Lieurance, directors and actors share insights into these upcoming shows, as well as a sneak peek at the theatre's 97th season.
Dancing at Lughnasa, opening Friday Mar 28 at the Carver Center, is a Senior Readers Theatre production directed by Lisa Marie Parker. The cast carries scripts, but it's far from a table reading. Parker described the show as "an opportunity for those of us … to bring a piece of art to this stage with the assistance of a script."
Actor Daniel Coyne, who has a history with the play, praised the strength of Brian Friel’s script. "It's a story about resilience in the face of life, which can be very hard," Coyne explains, highlighting the play's poetic language and its exploration of life's challenges in 1930s rural Ireland. The play delves into themes of family, reputation, and the complexities of memory.
Looking ahead, Katherine Mumma discusses The Seussification of a Midsummer Night’s Dream, a playful parody set to open April 25 in the Parish Theatre. Mumma described the production as "a really fun way to take the Shakespeare language out of A Midsummer Night's Dream and kind of bring it to a level where kids could get it by making it a little bit more Seuss-like."
The production, featuring a cast of young actors aged nine to sixteen, explores the timeless themes of love and its impact on behavior. "It's a love comedy," Mumma says. "It explores the theme of where does love come from? Is it a superficial thing first? And then you build on that? Or is it truly from the heart, like a real connection?"
The interview also provides a glimpse into the Civic’s upcoming 97th season, which includes classics like "Camelot" and The Cherry Orchard, as well as family favorites like Disney’s Frozen Jr. and SpongeBob The Musical Youth Edition.
"The Civic is very, very fortunate and blessed to have three amazing performance spaces that allow them to do a broad range of theatrical experience for the public," Parker notes.
Tickets and more information for Dancing at Lughnasa and The Seussification of a Midsummer Night’s Dream are available at the Kalamazoo Civic Theatre website or by calling 269-343-1313.
