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Jennifer Blackmer
A recent performance on the Arts Terrace at Ball State University
If The Merry Wives of Windsor seemed merrier than usual in July 2004, it had two good reasons. First, Ball State's version of the classic comedy tinkered with the clock and set the play in the 1950s, complete with "poodle skirts and June Cleaver dresses," according to Jennifer Blackmer, artistic director of Shakespeare Under the Stars. Second, the annual summer event relocated to campus and used the Museum of Art steps as its stage. Since then, the museum has extended its hours on performance nights, and students and faculty from the School of Music perform while patrons meander through the galleries.
"We turned the area into an arts quarter," says Blackmer, who likens the open-air venue with its two-level stage to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Unlike London patrons, Ball State guests can arrive early to claim a shady spot, set up chairs, spread blankets, and unpack picnic hampers. Some bring candelabra; others bring children--lots of them. They come from throughout East Central Indiana. "This is a family event. You can invite the neighborhood, and it's not going to break the bank. Everything is free."
When the Department of Theatre and Dance launched Shakespeare Under the Stars, the goal was to provide the community with a professional theatre experience free of charge. As a secondary benefit, students and faculty would have the opportunity to participate in a summer company that included professional performers from New York and Chicago.
"Although the intent was to offer classical entertainment, we've taken some risks. We aren't just doing 'museum theatre,'" says Blackmer. Innovations have included modernizing the dialog of Macbeth in 2003 and outfitting The Taming of the Shrew with Western cowboy garb in 2000.
Arts Place, Inc., the regional partner of the Indiana Arts Commission for the east central counties of the state, has been a supporter of the Shakespeare Under the Stars project. Located in Portland, Indiana, Arts Place plays a vital role in the region by enhancing the delivery of services to the arts community, thereby increasing public awareness of and access to the arts. This mission connects well to the intention of Shakespeare Under the Stars.
Sponsorship from the Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County has enabled a strong community connection as well. Each year the program expands to include new activities and to involve a more diverse audience. Physically disabled patrons are encouraged to attend, and assistance in the form of large-print programs, signed and visually interpreted performances, wheelchair seating, and reserved parking are always available.
Community members audition for roles, and high school interns work side-by-side with professional actors and technicians. Teenage members of the Shakespeare Youth Company attend a two-week summer workshop on campus and cap the experience by performing scenes prior to the production.
Through the years, Shakespeare Under the Stars has been graced by a succession of distinguished directors--LaCasse, Jenkins, Yordon, Kessler, and now Blackmer--who have guided a series of first-rate productions, including Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth Night, The Taming of the Shrew, and, most recently, Much Ado About Nothing. Earlier productions were a collaboration with Minnetrista and took place on the greensward of that facility.
Support from a range of foundations and local businesses has enabled Shakespeare Under the Stars to continue the tradition of providing first-class theatre at no cost to the audience. Blackmer notes that without funding, there simply would be no opportunity to produce a play. She says, "Perhaps then the community would ask 'Where is it?' and a groundswell would occur as people realize the value of the program and say, 'You know what? We really need this!'"
