Midsommer Flight will close its tenth year and most successful season to date, with its perennial holiday production of TWELFTH NIGHT, or WHAT YOU WILL. In keeping with the company’s tradition of bringing accessible Shakespeare to Chicago to parks around the city, the comedy will again be performed in the Show House Room of the beautiful Lincoln Park Conservatory. This year’s production will be directed by Bex Ehrmann, whose credits include projects with About Face Theatre and Northwestern University. Press opening is Friday, December 2, following a preview on Thursday, December 1. The production will play Thursdays through Sundays through Sunday, December 18. All curtain times are 7:30 pm.
Photo by Tom McGrath, TCMcG Photography..
While the company has performed TWELFTH NIGHT every holiday season since 2015 (except for the COVID-affected year of 2020), they have rotated directors leading the productions and offered a range of conceptual approaches to the comedy. Director Ehrmann (pictured) says the 2022 version will be “queering the Bard in an effort to tell a more expansive story” with the help of a diverse cast that includes trans and non-binary actors. Ehrmann adds, “The characters of TWELFTH NIGHT seek safety in clearly delineated roles or carefully worded speeches. But when they find themselves going off-script, they find their way towards their most authentic selves and discover that their world is full of endless possibilities.”
The production will again include the original musical score by Elizabeth Rentfro and Alex Mauney, with additional composition by Jack Morsovillo.
The cast, announced today, includes Rusty Allen (he/him/his, Malvolio), Laurel S. Barrett (she/her/hers, Antonia), John Drea (he/him/his, Orsino), Becca Duff (she/her/hers, Fabian, U/S Feste), Courtney Feiler (she/her/hers, Valentine/Officer/Musician, U/S Olivia), Caleb Gibson (he/him/his, swing, u/s Orsino, Antonio, Sir Toby), Rae Hamilton-Vargo (they/them/theirs, Sebastian, u/s Malvolio), Reginald Hemphill (he/him/his, Sir Toby Belch), North Rory Homewood (he/him/his, Feste), Jessica Love (she/her/hers, Maria), Ebby Offord* (she/they, Olivia), Victoria Olivier (she/her/hers, swing, u/s Sir Andrew, Sea Captain/Priest/Musician), McKell Rae (she/they, Curio/Officer/Musician, u/s Viola), Travis Shanahan (he/him/his, Sir Andrew Aguecheek), Maddy Shilts (they/he, Viola/Cesario), Noelle Simpson (they/them/theirs, swing, u/s Sebastian, Curio, Valentine, Officer, Musician), Natalie Welber (she/her/hers, Sea Captain/Priest/Musician, u/s Maria and Fabian). Click on image to download grid.
Top row L-R: Rusty Allen, Laurel S. Barrett, John Drea, Becca Duff.
Second row L-R: Courtney Feiler, Caleb Gibson, Rae Hamilton-Vargo.
Third row L-R: North Rory Homewood, Jessica Love, Ebby Offord*, Victoria Olivier.
Fourth row L-R: McKell Rae, Travis Shanahan, Maddy Shilts, Noelle Simpson.
Fifth row: Natalie Welber.
The production staff is Bex Ehrmann (they/them/theirs, Director), Jack Morsovillo* (he/him/his, Music Director), Cindy Moon (she/her/hers, Costume Designer), Alyssa Mohn (she/her/hers, Scenic Designer), Thomas Russell (he/they, Fight Director), Charlie Baker (he/they, Intimacy Director), Bobby Bowman (he/him/his, Text Coach), Giselle Durand (she/her/hers, Production Manager), Jacob R. Shaffer (Stage Manager), Cori Lang (she/they, Social Media Coordinator / Box Office Manager), and Beth Wolf* (she/her/hers, Producing Artistic Director).
Seating is limited and reservations are strongly recommended. Admission is pay-what-you-can, with a $30 donation suggested. Reservations are taken at www.midsommerflight.com, and standby lists are kept to ensure all spaces are utilized. More information on the production can be found at https://www.midsommerflight.com
TALKIN’ BROADWAY’s Christine Malcom said in 2021, “Midsommer Flight's Twelfth Night has become a beloved and routinely acclaimed Chicago holiday tradition.” CHICAGOLAND MUSICAL THEATRE’s Quinn Rigg said of the company’s 2019 production, "With the beautiful backdrop of a lush greenhouse, Midsommer Flight has created something as magical as it is natural. For those with an insatiable itch for warmth, excitement, or “Shakespeare in the park” in the middle of December, TWELFTH NIGHT is must-see.”
Midsommer Flight’s TWELFTH NIGHT will play Thursdays through Sundays at 7:30 pm from December 1 – 18, 2022. The Lincoln Park Conservatory is located at 2391 North Stockton Drive, Chicago. Due the heavy traffic and difficulty in finding parking near Lincoln Park during the holiday season, patrons are strongly advised to use public transportation. The Lincoln Park Conservatory is served by CTA buses #151 (to Stockton and Fullerton), and #22 and #36 (to Clark and Belden).
COVID SAFETY MEASURES
Audience members must provide proof of vaccination and wear a mask throughout the performance. All cast and crew are vaccinated and will be masked backstage; actors will be unmasked while they are actively performing.
LISTING INFORMATION
TWELFTH NIGHT, OR WHAT YOU WILL
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Bex Ehrmann
Music Direction by Jack Morsovillo
Original Music by Elizabeth Rentfro and Alex Mauney, with additional arrangements by Jack Morsovillo
December 1 - 18, 2022
Thursdays – Sundays @ 7:30 PM
PRESS OPENING Friday, December 2 at 7:30 PM
Show House room at the Lincoln Park Conservatory, 2391 Stockton Dr., Chicago
CTA buses #151 (to Stockton and Fullerton), and #22 and #36 (to Clark and Belden).
Tickets are pay-what-you-can and reservations are recommended due to limited seating – reservations are available now through the Midsommer Flight website (www.midsommerflight.com).
Tickets: Pay-what-you-can. Suggested donation $30.00
Reservations strongly recommended at www.midsommerflight.com
Midsommer Flight’s seventh annual holiday season staging of Shakespeare’s comedy in the beautiful Lincoln Park Conservatory. On a voyage to Illyria, the twins Viola and Sebastian are separated by a storm that wrecks their ship. Viola decides to go by the name Cesario and dons a disguise in order to find employment with Duke Orsino. Orsino, pining for the Lady Olivia, then sends Cesario to romance her on his behalf. But complications arise when Olivia falls for Cesario, who, in turn, harbors feelings for Orsino. Orsino isn't the only one who seeks Olivia's love: her steward Malvolio imagines he can win her, but his hopes are dashed by a ruse devised by Olivia's kinsman Sir Toby and her servant Maria. The performance is pay-what-you-can, but a $30 donation is suggested. Reservations are highly recommended.
BEX EHRMANN is a Chicago-based theatremaker, teaching artist, and writer. They return to Midsommer Flight after participating in the company's 2020 Directors Flight program. Through their creative work, they aim to investigate meaningful questions and engage their audience’s imagination. A recipient of fellowships from Luminarts Cultural Foundation and Lambda Literary, Bex is now an MFA candidate at Hamline University, where they study Writing for Children and Young Adults. As a teaching artist, they have worked with many organizations that nurture the growth of young people, including About Face Theatre, Ag47 Arts Collective, jGirls+ Magazine, and Imagination Stage. Find Bex on Twitter (@BexEhrmann) and Instagram (@deusbexmachina).
ABOUT MIDSOMMER FLIGHT. Midsommer Flight produces high quality, accessible performances of Shakespeare’s plays in Chicago communities. Its vision is to create Shared Joy: the shared experience of a laugh, a gasp, or a cathartic cry; of an event that brings people together in community. Shared Joy is for everyone; the company is committed to creating an inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible (IDEA) environment for all, and more about the company’s IDEA work is available on its website.
After the company’s well-received inaugural production of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM in 2012, the Chicago City Council honored Midsommer Flight with a resolution praising “the Midsommer Flight theater troupe on their dedication to bringing the arts to underserved communities.” The company incorporated as a not-for-profit in the state of Illinois in early 2013 and has since produced ROMEO AND JULIET (2013), MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING (2014), MACBETH (2015), TWELFTH NIGHT (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021), AS YOU LIKE IT (2016), HAMLET (2017), RICHARD III (2018), TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA (2018), CORIOLANUS (2019) and THE TEMPEST (2019), and a second production of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM in 2022.
In 2019, Midsommer Flight was named a Finalist for the Broadway in Chicago Emerging Theatre Award for the third consecutive year, distinguishing itself for “demonstrat[ing] artistic excellence and fiscal responsibility” and “being on the verge of great growth.” Summer productions, performed in Chicago parks, are presented free of charge (donations gratefully accepted) and the annual TWELFTH NIGHT productions are pay-what-you-can. For more information visit www.midsommerflight.com.