'A Midsummer Night's Dream' comes to Stango Park Sept. 21

Brown Box Theatre Project’s third annual Free Shakespeare at the Beach tour will end with a final performance of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at 7 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 21, on the outdoor stage of Stango Park, adjacent to the Lewes Public Library.  Audience members are reminded to bring a beach chair or blanket for the performance.

Shakespeare at the Beach is the flagship production of Brown Box Theatre Project, a nonprofit theater collaborative founded in 2010 by Eastern Shore native Kyler Taustin with the goal of enlivening the region’s theater scene by bringing the performing arts to audiences who ordinarily lack access to live theater. 2013 marks Brown Box’s third year bringing a fresh and inventive Shakespeare production to beach communities without charging admission. Sept. 21 will be the first time Brown Box has performed in Lewes.

“We are thrilled to be expanding to so many new communities this year,” says Taustin, who serves as the show’s director. “'Midsummer' is Shakespeare’s most beloved comedy, and I’m confident it will entertain and inspire audiences of all ages.”

Brown Box actors will also provide two workshops. The first is Shakespeare: From Page to Stage at the library prior to the performance. Rosalie Norris, education coordinator for Brown Box, says, “Shakespeare's text offers an amazing world of secret meanings and delights in every line and every word, which directly informs how it is performed. Come discover the richness found in Shakespeare's verse, and find a deeper connection to the text of the play.”

This 55-minute interactive discussion will begin at 2 p.m. It is free but limited to 35 adult participants. Preregistration is required. Go to tinyurl.com/brownboxadults or call the library, 302-645-2733, during regular business hours.

The second workshop is at 3 p.m. for teens ages 12-17. Norris says, “This workshop is perfect for any young person who identifies as a young artist, athlete, poet, comedian, actor, magician or imaginator.” The 55-minute interactive workshop is free but limited to 40 participants. Pr-registration is required. Go to tinyurl.com/brownboxteens or call the library during regular business hours.

This engagement of Brown Box Theatre Project is a Delaware Performing Arts Presenters Initiative project, made possible through funding by Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Delaware Division of the Arts and the Friends of the Lewes Public Library. Sponsorships for the program are still available. Businesses or organizations interested in placing an ad in the play program may contact Brown Box Theatre at www.brownboxtheatre.org or call Rebecca Lowe at the Lewes Public Library.

For more information about this and other library programs, call the library at 302-645-2733 or visit www.leweslibrary.org.