The Craft Theater buzzed with laughter and conversation as members of CET’s cast warmed up for auditions for the fall play, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by William Shakespeare. Each cast member performed a selected scene or monologue. Maggie Williams, a junior, felt excited yet nervous. She was surprised that CET would take on a Shakespeare production, as they typically choose more unconventional shows.
But it’s become a tradition for CET to do a Shakespeare play every four years. It gives every class the chance to do it once within their four years at Community.
“Shakespeare is wonderful for many practical reasons,” said Emily Wilson-Tobin, CET director. “There are large casts, it’s inexpensive to produce in terms of the fact that it’s free, we can make lots of changes and nobody cares. And then also, it’s really wonderful in terms of exploring depth of character.”
Venus Stolerow, a costume crew member, is eager for a new experience. “The only Shakespeare experience I’ve had is when I was forced to read Romeo and Juliet in Intro to Lit,” Stolerow said. “I was not the biggest fan, so I’m excited to try a different play experience.”
“I always love Shakespeare,” said Jules Gates, stage manager for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” “In high schools, it’s a common thread to take Shakespeare and add a twist.”
Because of the materials’ expired copyrights, there is a lot of flexibility, which CET members are excited to take advantage of. An overarching theme that has been discussed is a take on Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club.”
“We’re thinking about how the forest is a place for free expression,” Wilson-Tobin said.
The show’s cross-gender casting also supports this vision of inclusivity, representation and challenging the norms.
Aria Rosenfeld, a new costume crew member, is one of many members who are excited to join the production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Drawn to CET for its flexibility and student involvement, Rosenfeld enjoys the freedom of contributing creativity to the show.
“I just really like clothes and styling,” Rosenfeld said. “I love making fun little outfits.”
She is eager to bring her passion for fashion to CET and looks forward to adding accessories and personal touches to the costumes. Rosenfeld highlights the inclusivity within CET and feels welcomed by students from all grades, even in the first few weeks of production.
For Stolerow, the inclusivity within CET means a lot to her. “I really love the close community,” Stolerow said. “My freshman year, I literally just randomly shouted out, ‘oh my god, I hate this math problem so much,” and five different people came up and tried to help me with it.”
Returning members are also taking on new responsibilities. After doing two shows with crew and one with cast, returning member Gates has decided to explore stage management. Gates loves the camaraderie that comes with working behind the scenes and loves how crew members and crew heads form close bonds while working together to bring the show to life.
During Gates’ time as assistant stage manager last year, he’s found that managing the show from behind the scenes is especially rewarding. Even in middle school, he imagined taking on a significant role in theater, inspired by the productions he’d seen, including CET’s “Cabaret.”
“Cabaret” was a show that Wilson-Tobin directed early in her career at CHS. She became the CET director four years ago alongside the current senior class. This fall, Wilson-Tobin chose a light and funny play.
“I’m looking forward to helping students feel confident about performing Shakespeare and finding humor in it,” Wilson-Tobin said.
Another CET staff member, Adam Weakley, is starting his first year as Tech Director for CET. Weakley split-enrolled to CHS during his high school career but ultimately graduated from Pioneer High School. Soon after graduating, he began a professional career in theater. Weakley has worked multiple jobs, including Director of Operations for Tobin Lake Studios, which specializes in renting out specialized theater equipment and supplies.In addition to working with CET crews, Weakley freelances in both acting and theater equipment work, working on theater projects in and around the Ann Arbor area. The Tech Director position at Community opened in early 2023 and Weakley jumped at the opportunity.
“I’ve been to several shows in the last few years here, and I’m really impressed with the level of theater that’s being done,” Weakley said. “I’m excited to be back and I’m looking forward to getting to know the cast and crew better. I’m looking forward to being a part of one of those shows that I was so proud to come and see.”
Most crews have started work on various design elements of the show, fitting in with the Pink Pony Club theme. The cast has also started meeting in their preliminary rehearsals. These rehearsals mostly focus on reading through the challenging Shakespeare script along with creating some initial blocking. In addition, each member of the ensemble has received lines as a fairy. This means every cast member will have a moment of dialogue for themselves.
Wilson-Tobin, Weakley and members of the cast and crew including Stolerow are excited to continue working together to develop “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” for their performances on Nov. 21-24.
