London actors bring Shakespeare to Logan
Shakespeare has been brought to life on the Utah State University campus and around Logan by the company Actors From the London Stage and will be performing “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” Thursday through Saturday at the Ellen Eccles Theatre.
Actors From the London Stage has returned to Logan after such a good reception last year. The company employs many actors and brings shows and workshops from England to campuses and communities all across the United States. The company was started by actor Patrick Stewart, best known for his work as Captain Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation, when he was asked to stay and speak to students after a performance at a university.
The five actors from the company have been busy all week speaking to USU classes and doing workshops at local schools as well as gearing up for performances this weekend.
“We go to schools and try to bring an actors’ side perception to Shakespeare. We try to get them acting. It’s great but it can be very hard work,” actor Matt Radford said.
He said he initially got into the theater business for the girls.
Emily Heap, a sophomore at Logan High School, said the actors workshop at her school, where they taught techniques including visualization, got her excited about acting and helped her understand Shakespeare in her English class better.
“It was a lot of fun. We were all laughing the entire time,” Heap said.
Both Radford and fellow actor Sean Gilder admit to not completely understanding Shakespeare when starting.
“I was the worst Romeo there had ever been,” Radford said.
“A lot of people get scared of Shakespeare. It takes time, so take your time. Don’t be scared of it. Walk before you run,” Gilder said.
Stephanie Thompson, a second-year graduate student studying English Literature had Gilder do a workshop in her 18th century class and found it very beneficial.
“It was fabulous. He got us sitting on the floor in a circle and acting out scenes. He really breathed life right into it,” Thompson said.
As much as the actors were welcomed to their shows in America they almost didn’t make it. They were scheduled to leave the Saturday after the terrorist attacks and all flights were still canceled when they were scheduled to leave.
“We didn’t think we were coming when it all happened. I think most colleges didn’t think we’d come. But we just said ‘They’re [the terrorists] not going to stop us. We’ll come if you take us,” Radford said.
After losing their rehearsal space in London and rearranging their schedule to end in Notre Dame instead of starting there, the actors finally made it to the United States.
During this seven-week tour the company will have performed in Kansas, North Carolina, Texas, Wisconsin and Utah.
The actors are all very excited to present “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” a magical and humorous play, in their special style. The company does not use elaborate sets or costumes. Rather body gestures and voice modulation are used to differentiate between characters and tell the story.
“All five of us play four or five parts. In the very first scene I have to talk to myself. It’s great fun. We have an absolute ball doing it,” Gilder said.
The actors agree this technique gives the actors more of an opportunity to tell the story and allows the audience to use their imagination.
“If you over-stage something you’re going to obscure the words,” Radford said.
“They’re a bunch of talented folks. It’s amazing what they can do without props,” Marina Hall English department lecturer.
Tickets are $7.50 for adults, $6.50 for USU faculty/staff and senior citizens, $5.50 for youth under 18 and 50 cents (one ticket only) for USU students with a valid I.D. The show starts at 7:30 p.m