Entertainment : Challenge of Shakespeare inspires many to join ACT 1\'s \'Midsummer Night\'s Dream\'

Mikala Niemeier and Austin Lauterwasser rehearse for 'A Midsummer Night's Dream.'

Willow Huber and Austin Lauterwasser work on their lines.

Puck (Aspen Auld) and Olberon (Nick Radcliffe) rehearse a scene in the ACT 1 studion.

Assistant Dir. Paul Worrell works with Amber Bonlander on a scene from 'A Midsummer Night's Dream.'

Sometime this month, you just might see a familiar ACT 1 performer, or an a area high school drama teacher, walking along a Vinton street, or sitting on a bench, saying things like “Lord, what fools these mortals be” and “The course of true love never did run smooth.”

It was on such a bench that long-time ACT 1 actress Rachel Kramer opened her eyes to the magic that is Shakespeare.

Kramer plays Titania, Queen of the Fairies, in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” the famous Shakespeare comedy.

After struggling to capture the Bard of Avon’s rhythm and language, Kramer sat on a bench outside the ACT 1 studio in downtown Vinton, practicing lines with Nich Radcliffe, who studied Shakespeare in college and has acted in several large productions during a 15-year career in professional theater. The two recited lines until something clicked in Kramer’s mind. She began to understand the rhythm and the words, and went home and continued reciting Shakespeare to her husband, Keith.

“I love it,” said Kramer, who says she also finds Shakespeare’s humor to be very funny.

Radcliffe, who plays the role of Oberon, King of the Fairies, as well as the role of mentor to cast members who are new to Shakespeare, has seen this love and understanding of grow in others this summer.

“Anyone can learn Shakespeare if they really want to,” he says. Then he makes an observation about the cast, specifically its high school actors and actresses: “They want to be good; they want to learn; they want to work hard.”

Steve Arnold directs the play. Two summers ago, he directed the Iowa premier of “13.” Several teens who worked on that project have been reunited for this one, along with many ACT 1 regulars and a few new faces – many who chose to participate because they want to learn Shakespeare.

Amber Bonlander is one of those new faces. A member of the North Benton Ambulance crew, she joins her children, McKenna and Keegan, in the play.

“I haven’t acted since middle school,” said Bonlander, who plays Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons.

Also new to Shakespeare, Bonlander said learning the dialect and the right pronunciation of words is a challenge.

Austin Lauterwasser agrees that Shakespeare is a challenge, but he said it’s one that is well-worth trying.

“I am doing this because I want to learn to act better,” he said. This is a good experience and I am thankful for the opportunity.”

Because Shakespeare’s words are “not like every-day English,” it’s more challenging to learn them, says Lauterwasser.

“This takes you to a different level of acting,” he said.

Katie Pexa of Atkins, a 2012 Benton Community graduate and one of several members from the Benton drama department to participate in this project, agrees.

“I am learning how bold a writer Shakespeare was,” she said. “I have learned that it’s not as hard as I thought – it’s beautiful.”

Longtime ACT 1 leader Mary Horst directs plays for Benton Community. Arnold asked her to invite her students to audition; several did.

“Many of our actors signed up for this project because it is Shakespeare,” he said.

One of those actors is Jack Green. Green lives in Cedar Rapids and has performed in several plays at Kennedy High School. Green, who performed a magic act with girlfriend Willow Huber during “Riverside’s Got Talent,” plays the role of Lysander while Huber is Hermia.

They agree that memorizing the words is the most challenging part of acting in a Shakespeare work.  

Mikala Niemeier of Walker, another member of the “13” cast in 2010, said she likes the language of Shakespeare, and finds it challenging to memorize the words while comprehending their deep meaning.

Aspen Auld, another Benton Community actress, plays the role of Puck. She loves the challenge but also finds some of the words to be “weird.”

The performance dates are August 3-5 and Aug. 10 - 12. Shows begin at 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. on Sundays, at the Vinton-Shellsburg High School auditorium. Tickets are $10. See more information at www.act1.org.

The cast includes:

ACT I of Benton County

Presents

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

A comedy by William Shakespeare

Cast List

The Court

Theseus, Duke of Athens          Alexander Vasquez                                 

Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons                   Amber Bonlander

Philostrate, Master of the Revels                     Katie Pexa                     

Egeus,  father to Hermia                                      Duane Larson              

Attendants to Theseus             Keegan Bonlander,  Austin Dougherty 

Amazon Ladies                              April Seitz, Tammy Mims

Demetrius                                     Austin Lauterwasser

Lysander                                        Jack Green

Hermia                                            Willow Huber

Helena                                                            Mikala Niemeier

The Fairies

Oberon                                            Nich Radcliffe

Titania                                             Rachel Kramer

Puck                                                  Aspen Auld

First Fairy                                      Katie Hancock

Fairies                          Taylor Livengood, McKenna Bonlander

Peasblossom                                Rylie Davis

Cobweb                                           Joey Anderson

Moth                                                 Eli Powers

Mustardseed                                Sophie Storey                             

Indian Boy                                     Charlie Anderson                                     

Shades to Oberon       Max Vasquez, Colston Neilson, Austin Dougherty,

Daniel Knapp, Keegan Bonlander

Shades to Titania                       Emma Arnold, Raeganna Neilson, Natalie Knapp,

Mercedes Phelps, Katherine Seitz, Sophia Vasquez

The Mechanicals

Peter Quince                                 Alan Nebola

Nick Bottom                                 Steve Auld  (Pyramus)

Francis Flute                                Ian Stuelke  (Thisbe)

Tom Snout                                     Jeff Seitz  (Wall)

Snug the Joiner                            Rich Hainstock   (Lion)

Robin Starveling                         Jon Stuelke  (Moon)