The National Building Museum, Folger Shakespeare Library and Folger Theatre Present Engaging Programs Throughout A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

Unique daytime and evening performances and activities to take place inside The Playhouse at the National Building Museum.

By: Jul. 06, 2022
The National Building Museum, Folger Shakespeare Library and Folger Theatre Present Engaging Programs Throughout
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
Enter Your Email to Unlock This Article

Plus, get the best of BroadwayWorld delivered to your inbox, and unlimited access to our editorial content across the globe.




Existing user? Just click login.

The National Building Museum and the Folger Shakespeare Library are creating a summer of engaging performances, hands-on activities, and exciting events as part of the summer-long run of Folger Theatre's production of Shakespeare's beloved comedy, A Midsummer Night's Dream. A full slate of performances, talks, music, tours, and interactive
workshops are being presented during the day and prior to performances of Midsummer inside the majestic Great Hall of the National Building Museum, home to The Playhouse this
summer.

The Playhouse serves as home for the National Building Museum's Summer Block Party,
providing visitors with lively theater-related experiences throughout the day. Behind-the-scenes tours, face-painting, scavenger hunts, storytime, interactive workshops, and more captivating activities will be offered daily beginning Friday, July 1 and run through August 28, 2022. A full schedule of the Museum's daytime programming can be found at
www.nbm.org/exhibition/the-playhouse.

Tony Cisek (production designer for A Midsummer Night's Dream) directed the creation of The Playhouse, which was developed in collaboration with Jim Hunter, Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of South Carolina and South Side Design and Building, responsible for the design and fabrication of the Midsummer Forest, an immersive installation in the Museum's West Court.

In the evenings, The Playhouse transforms into the enchanting setting for Folger Theatre's A Midsummer Night's Dream. The Folger and the National Building Museum will host a variety of pre-show events, including performances by the celebrated Frontera Project, poetry workshops, free musical performances on the Museum's lawn, free lunchtime readings, workshops on Hip Hop and Shakespeare, artist talks, behind-the-scenes tours, a staged reading of Call Me Olivia, and more.

Folger Theatre's A Midsummer Night's Dream is on stage at the National Building Museum,
July 12 - August 28, 2022.

Beginning July 1, visitors to the Museum will enter this summer's experience through A
Midsummer Forest, an immersive installation based on Joanna Robson's A Knavish Lad, a
double-concertina artists' book from the Folger collection that visually narrates every scene from A Midsummer Night's Dream. The book was completed in 2016 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death. Brought to life by Southside Design and Building, adults and children alike will be transported into the world of Midsummer, allowing them to step into the magic of Shakespeare's beloved play.

Everyday guests will discover the characters of A Midsummer Night's Dream through an
interactive Scavenger Hunt, and crafts inspired by the play, while Shakespeare Mad Libs,
Costumes and Crowns will provide inspiration for guests as they explore backstage. Guests will design Elizabethan London in a Shakespearean-inspired City by Design urban planning activity and construct their own Globe Theater to take home. Free with Museum admission.
Each morning at 11:30am, a Storytime and Activity will be offered and on weekends, Face
Painting (1pm - 4pm, Saturdays and Sundays) will get guests into the Midsummer spirit. Free with Museum admission.

Paper artist Josefina Hernandez offers art workshops exploring patterns found within the
National Building Museum and the illustrative history of A Midsummer Night's Dream on July 9 and 10. Sessions run at 11:30am and 1:30pm both days. Free with Museum admission. Beginning Monday, July 11, behind-the-scenes Insider Tours are led daily at 1pm and 2pm (Thursdays - Mondays). This 45-minute guided experience takes you through the magical Midsummer Forest installation of The Playhouse and pulls back the curtain on the playmaking process right on the set of A Midsummer Night's Dream, where visitors can take center stage through interactive theater exercises. Free with Museum admission.

A Pre-Performance Conversation with Folger Director Michael Witmore about Shakespeare's madcap comedy takes place on Wednesday, July 13 at 6:30pm. $20, with discounts available for Folger Shakespeare Library and National Building Museum members.

The O.B. Hardison Poetry Series at the Folger presents the Brown Bag Poetry "But A
Dream" series at 12pm on July 14, July 21, and July 28. These readings will explore
predominant themes of Midsummer-love, dreams, magic, and fantasy. Free with Museum
admission.

On Thursday, July 14, a reading on "love" will be presented by DC poet and
historian Kim Roberts.
Sally Kindred Rosen will present a reading on fairies and mythology on
Thursday, July 21.
Annie Finch concludes the series on Thursday, July 28 with a reading on the
moon.

Folger Theatre's Stage Director Talk happens on Thursday, July 14 at 6:30pm. Learn about
the creative process, staging, and vision of Midsummer with director Victor Malana Maog in conversation with Folger Theatre Artistic Director Karen Ann Daniels. $20, with discounts available for Folger and National Building Museum members.
Creating The Playhouse: Setting the Stage for A Midsummer Night's Dream on Monday,
July 18 at 6:30pm, with National Building Museum Executive Director Aileen Fuchs and Folger Theatre Artistic Director Karen Ann Daniels leading a lively conversation about the creation and activation of the theater space with stage designer Jim Hunter and offering insights into the unique challenges and exciting opportunities afforded by the project. $10 for National Building

Join knowledgeable Folger docents for a lively plunge into Shakespeare and his magical
comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream in Education Workshops on Thursday July 21 and
Friday, July 22 at 2pm. Whether you're a Shakespeare scholar or just being introduced to the Bard, this high-action-and loud!-workshop is for all visitors. Free with Museum admission.

Two Poetry Workshops led by Folger Poetry Coordinator Teri Cross Davis are on Friday,
July 22 and Friday, August 5 at 6:00pm. Using the themes of dreams and dreaming,
participants will study and discuss provided poems in these rich, in-person workshop sessions, and then be guided in the creation of their own work. $45, with discounts available.

Before taking in the production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, sit outside and enjoy the
sounds of Music on the Lawn (on 5 th Street, between F & G). Live performances take place on Thursdays July 28, August 4, August 11, and August 18 from 6:30pm-7:30pm.

Acclaimed artists of The Frontera Project will perform on the festival stage July 29, 30, and 31 at 12pm. The Frontera Project brings Mexican and U.S. artists together in a unique, bi-lingual, interactive performance that fuses elements of theater, movement, and music. The Frontera Project, with its specific focus on Tijuana/San Diego, celebrates the richness, complexity, and humanity of Fronterizo life. Free with Museum admission.

The Frontera Project will also be offering lively and interactive workshops in the classroom at the National Building Museum on Thursday, July 28 at 2pm and July 29, 30, and 31 at
2:30pm. On Monday, August 1, The Frontera Project will perform on the festival stage during a special Late Night at NBM at 8pm. Doors will open at 6:30pm and admission includes Museum exhibitions, including The Wall/El Muro: What is a Border Wall?, light bites, and drinks. $25; $10 for NBM and Folger members; $5 students.

Audience members are encouraged to stay and take part in our Post-Show Discussion with
the cast of A Midsummer Night's Dream on Thursday, August 4. This interactive discussion, led by Folger's Resident Dramaturg Michele Osherow, will follow the 8:00pm performance.

Actor, writer, and musician Malik Work leads Hip Hop Shakespeare, an interactive workshop designed to unveil the tools of theater and storytelling using the celebrated work of the Bard and the innovative and relevant work of contemporary Hip Hop. These free workshops will be held on the Midsummer stage on Friday, August 5 at 2pm and August 6 and 7 at 12:30pm.

Spotlight on Design: Renovation of the Folger will take place on Monday, August 8 at
6:30pm. Folger Shakespeare Library Director Michael Witmore and architect Stephen
Kieran will discuss the Folger Shakespeare Library's multi-year renovation project currently
underway. They will examine what it takes to bring a historically listed 1930s building into the 21st century.

Check the Folger website at www.folger.edu/events/midsummer-nights-dream-2022, and the National Building Museum website at www.nbm.org/exhibition/the-playhouse, as events continue to be added to the performance calendars.

A Midsummer Night's Dream is produced in association with the National Building
Museum and the University of South Carolina.



Videos