Driftwood Theatre is celebrating a quarter-century of nomadic thespianism, and it’s inviting Orillia to join in the celebration.
The company is bringing A (musical) Midsummer Night’s Dream to the Leacock Museum for an outdoor show that will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 13.
The music will be a cappella, and Jeremy Smith, Driftwood Theatre’s artistic director, said the audience can expect “a really groovy, joyful, fun, playful, mischievous evening, because that’s what the play is about.”
“A cappella is challenging at the best of times,” he said, noting it’s even more challenging in an outdoor setting. “They’re all fabulous singers, so we’ve really lucked out.”
Smith also has a message for those who didn’t enjoy studying Shakespeare in school.
“This isn’t Shakespeare from high school. It deserves a chance,” he said. “There’s a reason this man who lived 450 years ago wrote stories that are still being performed.”
Driftwood Theatre is no stranger to Orillia. The company staged its first performance here — The Taming of the Shrew — in 2016 at Couchiching Beach Park. It then set its sights on the Leacock Museum, where it has since performed Othello and Rosalind.
“When we moved to the Leacock Museum, getting there and seeing the view really locked it in for us,” Smith said.
All of Driftwood Theatre’s shows are performed outside, which “can be tricky but also extraordinarily exciting,” he said.
“The environment we perform in really inspires the work.”
Part of the company’s mission is to make theatre as accessible as possible. That’s why it asks people to pay whatever they can to see its performances. However, Smith recommends people reserve a seat to get the best experience. A reservation costs $30.
For more information, or to reserve a seat, click here.
