Notes from a Plague Year for Shakespeare in the Arb 2020

In this uncertain time, don’t you long to watch an Arb sunset as you listen to Elizabethan music and are drawn into another world? I know I want to see my actors create magic for an audience like you, that appreciates the setting, the costumes, the music, the world of the play.

This year is the 20th anniversary of Shakespeare in the Arb, and we were set to remount A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the play we started with in 2001. We planned to run for four weekends, the entire month of June, and on the final weekend we hoped to bring alumni from our past 20 productions back for a big celebration.

My hope was to have the returning actors perform scenes from their past triumphs for each other in the Arb setting. Then we would have a picnic dinner and watch this season’s production. As a special treat, any alum with young children could let them perform as one of Titania’s fairies. Despite all the planning, Shakespeare in the Arb won’t happen this year. Even so I wanted to share my vision with you.

With the help of Carol Gray and Graham Atkin, my artistic collaborators, we had put together a wonderful artistic team. With this summer’s production called off because of the pandemic, we’re now planning on bringing the 20th anniversary celebration of Midsummer back in 2021, with the entire month of June dedicated to performances each Thursday through Sunday.

My thanks to all of our Shakespeare in the Arb fans for your support. We look forward to seeing you next year!

        —Kate Mendeloff