One, two, three, four.

Get my shoes on at the door.

Five, six, seven, eight.

Feels great.

I'm gonna shine life is good and guys aren't gonna do about to do what they do.

Yeah.

Look at this guy with the beautiful color about the and just for me he's gonna share it with another I got to show to get.

I want to sing and shout.

I'll take a look at that beautiful morning that turns to a beautiful evening and look at the big beautiful light and then people wanna see the Come along with me.

That's fine Hello everyone.

And thank you so much for joining us on another experience, Michiana.

And as you can see, it is a beautiful day in our community.

And today I'm going to get my groove on and I'm going to show you how you can, too.

But first, we're back at Notre Dame because Shakespeare is back on.

And this year, it's all about A Midsummer Night's Dream As a member of the community, I am so excited to say that the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival is on this year.

And Grant, I know that you are just excited as we are.

You and you and I spoke very much, very much.

And this is very unique, too, because this is kind of the first event of Notre Dame hopefully bringing a new thing that we're going to be experiencing this year.

We we traditionally cross between summer and the start of the academic year, serving both our communities, you know, on campus and off.

So inevitably, then, we're also the first ones after a significant closure to resume operations hooray hooray It's it's brought all sorts of fun challenges, but a lot of excitement, too.

Well, let's talk about a few of those challenges, because doing theater during the pandemic has its challenges doing Shakespeare has its challenges, and you have both of them.

So tell us how you're doing this.

Well, sometimes the name Shakespeare can be a little daunting, but I think as you can kind of tell from the surroundings in one , you'll see some of the other materials.

This is a ton of fun You'll hear it, too, from the other actors.

They're of course, they're all miserable and havin having a terrible time rehearsing the play.

You know, it's a hilarious comedy.

And as a cast, I've rarely seen a company bond as well as this one has.

I think it's partly having been off and away from the profession we were employed to execute and the art form that we we love to create.

And now we're finally resuming doing it.

There's a first part in your question, and I think it has to do with the logistics of how we put this up.

And the simple fact that we are we get to be outside for our interview today is also because we've moved the professional company outdoors here on the southeast lawn of Irish Green and Notre Dame.

And that's for a couple of different reasons.

We could be back inside right now, but we've elected to stay outside for everybody's comfort level also.

So it's a little bit easier to socially distance for the audience.

And because it's A Midsummer Night's Dream and the fireflies are with us each night as we rehearse, the fairies are kind of exactly It's a bit broader of a scale than we're typically accustomed to.

But it has that Shakespeare in the park feel to it, which is great, great fun.

And so out here, the audience will be on the lawn over here.

And do you have to limit the capacity?

We do.

We do.

And so not only is the capacity limited, we'll be encouraging social distancing, of course.

We've kept the acting company essentially restricted in their rehearsal, but pretty isolated in general.

The word bubbled isn't isn't quite accurate, but it makes sense.

And then, of course, if we invite all audiences.

But of course, if you're unvaccinated at this time, we'll ask you to wear a mask.

Anyone who would like one may have a mask will have extra ones on hand.

And of course, we're thrilled that we can be outside, which is the safest variable.

Well, I have had the pleasure of seeing several of the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival Productions, and I am amazed truthfully Grant at every single one.

And one of the things that I love about what you do is this kind of a twist to it.

You know, just do it like maybe you'd see it in another production.

You bring a twist, something very different, something that people would not expect.

Can we expect the same thing this time?

I don't think it would be a Notre Dame Shakespeare festival if there wasn't some sense of the surprise.

And I think good theater does that, too, not in just kind of a surprise way, bu something that provokes the way we think about the story, that allows it to particularly be one in which we can see ourselves, whether we are from any area of South Bend or Michiana or the region or the country.

You'll find something that really resonates with you as you watch this show.

This show is set with a feel of sort of late 40s right around in turning it not quite into the 50s just yet And so some of that music will be very familiar to to some of the folks in our audience.

And so there's a little bit of a twist, but, you know, I have to say, being up against the structure of the fabric of the theater itself has has been really exciting for us.

And, you know, the actors turn to the house or it's the royal residence of mighty Theseus or it's it becomes part of the magical wood that a group of lovers gets lost in.

And another troupe of of laborer's creates a show that have never created a show before.

And they're out in the woods, too.

But the building and and the park, like setting embraces both.

Right.

Absolutely.

Well, I have to tell you, I can't wait to see that production.

But right now, I can't wait to meet some of the cast members.

Can I do that?

Let's do that.

As a professor, who?

And you're one of my former students.

I have to say, I'm so honored to interview you.

Kendra, you like a multitalented and I'm so excited for you because this is your first time as an intern with the Notre Dame Shakespeare festival.

Yes, ma'am.

What has the experience been like for you so far?

The experience has been so awesome.

The cast and crew have been so open and so accepting, and that has been such an amazing experience for me being a part of this new theater community.

It's just been a blast thus far.

And it's it's just been an abundance of joy and time and time just getting a bond and getting familiar with Shakespeare and feeling like a a family, giving that family connection.

That's great.

And as I said, multitalented.

You sing, you dance, you act.

Yes.

How have you grown as a performer being part of this festival?

So with Shakespeare, often times we always feel like it's it's like so formal and so prestigious and out of reach.

And I think the great thing about our apprenticeship in our company is that we make it so malleable to the point where it's relatable and you don't feel so distant from the language in the text and in the story itself.

And so you're able to kind of make those connections and, you know, really get into the work and pour yourself into it without getting too in your head about it.

I hear your character or should I say characters.

Yes, I'm quite fun.

So tell us who you play.

So I play the first fairy and I play snug the joiner two characters that are very different.

First fairy has more of a, you know, business, you know professional on top of things versus not, you know, fairies.

We're all about business.

Right.

Well, you would think it would be a little bit more, you know, free flowing.

But I'm no, she is, you know, about, you know, staying on top of things, you know, getting stuff done and snug the joiner is kind of, you know, like a you know, I'm going to do my best and see what happens and then, you know, let the chips fall where they may.

So those playing those two different character archetypes has been fun and interesting.

Yeah, well, I hear that you have to do a little bit of dancing and you know, and a little bit of singing.

Yes.

So what's the dancing look like?

So the dancing, it's it's really.

Well, first off, it's amazing.

It's fun.

It's kind of like a little bit of ballet mixed with modern.

It's really cool.

And it's it's very, fairy-esque you know, put it in a description.

But yeah, it's it's an awesome dance.

And I think the audience is going to love it.

And I love doing it.

So, yeah, it's really fun.

It's awesome.

Yeah.

Now, I had you as a student and boy, could you dance.

Yeah.

But boy, could you also sing.

Sang, let's say.

And so you are singing in this role?

I am singing a little bit in this role.

I'm I'm still learning the melody, still getting the lyrics down.

But yeah, it's some singing going on in here.

And yes, this is going to be fun.

It's going to be interesting.

Right now, I know you're still learning the lyrics to what the role that you play, but maybe you can sing a little just just a line.

I want everyone to hear your voice because it is pretty amazing.

And it's going to sound great out here.

Awesome.

So I can sing something, OK, but maybe not that just yet, because I want to perfect it.

So let's see if I can I can give you a little bit of church a little church and.

OK, Church at Notre Dame.

Think let your powerful.

Oh, when your name is called.

Oh, who doesn't?

Oh, Lord you're mighty and strong.

So fight this battle for me and then my heart, I believe so I can tell.

All my friends that you have won again.

I told you she could sing if I had a mike drive, but I dropped my pen.

Oh, God.

Oh, my goodness.

That is wonderful.

I can't wait to see the production.

Now, I know you have a ton of family and friends that are going to come see you.

It is outside.

So they have to bring blankets and lawn chairs.

I definitely recommend some blankets and lawn chairs.

Make yourself comfortable.

Bring food, bring drinks, bring the family, bring friends Tell everyone, you know, it's really going to be a good time.

All right.

All right.

Well, I can't wait.

I'm going to be sitting right up there maybe a little further back, but I. Yeah, well, I'll be looking for you.

Absolutely.

Jason Gof, you are also part of the cast and you play Nick Bottom before we even get up to talk about Nick.

I want to talk a little bit about you, because did you say this is your first time on the campus of Notre Dame?

Yes, this is.

Have you been rehearsing?

Yeah, I've been in Chicago for the past 10 years.

And then I was in L.A. for three years before that.

And the opportunity came up two years ago to audition for this show.

And a lot of incredible artists have worked here in the past.

Artists that are friends of mine.

It has an incredible reputation.

And so I threw my hat in the ring and they were silly enough to hire me.

And I was over the moon to to be invited.

And then, of course, Covid hit and everything got back burned for a year.

But we're back here now, and it's been everything I could have hoped it could be.

It's been an incredible experience so far.

Well, tell us about Nick Bottom Yeah, Nick, bottom is, I guess you could say he's the clown of the show along with all of the mechanicals.

You met the lovely Kendra earlier.

She's part of our troupe, and it's a ragtag group of just blue collar craftsmen in Athens.

And they are trying to put on a play for the Duke and become made men, as Kendra will say, to try and make our fortune as entertainers.

And so I just view them as dreamers, people who love performing, and sometimes their enthusiasm can get in the way of their productivity.

And all I'll say is that hijinx ensue and things that we don't even know are going to happen every night happened.

There are OK things put in there that are completely improvised and related upon the audience.

And so every night will be completely different.

And we're really looking forward to doing that.

That is wonderful.

I'm so excited to see the production.

You had mentioned to about all of the great artists that have come through the Notr Dame Shakespeare Festival and now you being one of them.

How have you grown the production even?

You know, you haven't performed it yet, but even just in the experience of rehearsal, how have you grown as an artist already?

It's been a very enlightening experience and main part because of all the time we had off and coming back to something, not knowing if how am I going to feel?

I haven't done this in so long.

Can I still do it?

And I still going to enjoy doing it.

How does that work?

And the group of artists that they have to come here are so excited to just play and have a good time and tell the story.

And it's infectious.

And you feed off of that and it takes you places you never thought you were going to go or even have you do things you didn't think you'd be able to do outside vocally.

I know we will be miked, but in the middle of our rehearsal process and things like that, communicating across this huge green lawn is something I've never done before.

And it kind of takes you back to your training and you got it right.

Who first acted on all of the things that that they teach you for years and years and years that you ha locked away back there and all of a sudden you got to unlock that door and hope it's still there?

I hope it is.

We've had a great responses so far, and I think people are going to really, really, really enjoy the show.

And it's been an incredible experience.

And I'm hope I'm invited back numerous, numerous times.

I hope so as well.

Jason, thank you so much.

It's been great speaking with you.

Break a leg.

Thank you.

Kelly, I appreciate it.

Tlaloc, Riva's.

Do you want the director of A Midsummer Night's Dream here?

And I just want to say thank you.

I know you must be so busy.

So thank you for taking the time to be with us.

But before we even start, I hear that there's a very unique meaning to your name.

Yes.

Can you share what that is?

Sure.

My name is Tlaloc.

And for those who have studied Mesmero, American history and culture, Tlaloc with the Aztec God of rain.

OK, well, no rain during this production, though.

Well, let's cross our fingers.

Let's hope we don't get in.

We need the rain, but not during our show, not doing the show, absolutely.

Well, you know, I had an opportunity to speak with several of the cast members.

And one of the things that kept resonating was I kept saying, this is so much fun.

This is so much fun.

So I'd like to know, what are you doing as a director to create such an atmosphere?

Well, one of the things that's great about coming back after 18 months of seclusion from one another is to a have a production that is that takes place outside.

But, B, it's A Midsummer Night's Dream is such a classic comedy where there are profound consequences in regards to love and misunderstanding.

And I think we've all gone through a period of that.

And I think what's great about the play, this has a lovely message of reconciliation and understanding for one another.

Absolutely.

After a turbulent time.

Well, we know that this usually takes place hundreds of years ago, but you're kind of bringing them into the 1940s.

Yes, please.

So what has that creative process been like?

Well, one of the one of the reasons we chose like postwar 1940s was that was another time where the America and the world was coming out of conflict and emerging from from what I would call sort of, uh, distress and pain and suffering And the postwar years were a time of renewal for people to come back together and to reestablish the communities that they came from And so the play does that, too.

But but setting in the forties is kind of I wanted to draw a parallel to that, that we were also emerging from from that kind of conflict in time.

And it's also just a fun period for being he reminds me of my grandparents and the time they grew up in that they're very they were very fond of of that time.

So and you know, you are a playwright, a director, dramaturg, you so much.

And community means a lot to you as well as well as social activism.

How do you believe in what ways you use art to maybe be a vehicle or a voice for social activism?

It really depends on where the audience is.

Like in every community and every theater I've worked at, it's it's particularly meaningful to me to know, you know, what kind of audiences will come to this kind of show, but also what kind of new audiences do we want to bring the.

For me, I want theater to reflect the diversity of this country and into the world.

And so one of my charges is to to, um, uh, to have an ensemble of people that that people can can see themselves in.

And at the same time, if the play, whether it's new or it's a classic, I want it to connect to something that is happening to the world today.

Whether that might be and, you know, the environmental crises, global warming or, you know, interpersonal relationships, um, it's for me, it's it's always it always matters to me what the piece is saying now and to reflect and to to share it with an audience, because it's about it's not about like presenting Shakespeare as it was.

Right, because Shakespeare wrote for a contemporary audience.

So we're presenting this unique production for this audience.

And that's what is important to me overall.

You know, many times I ask the actors and actresses, how have you grown as an actor and actress, as a performer during this production?

I'd like to ask you perhaps how might this change you as a director bring a new perspective, being a part of this production Um, it's an interesting question.

You're asking asking the question where I don't feel, you know, after a time of of the time of the pandemic really brought a certain reflection that there wasn't a need to to make or produce or to to get a show up so quickly.

I think we've all kind of taken a step back and looked at the ways and methods we've been creating theater in the past, which has been under the guise of like commercialism or or, you know, almost like a factor to set the shows out.

I think we've all taken are now really reassessing how we approach a production and looking at it holistically to see what what is how do we take care of our actors with better pay, better housein?

How do we reduce the hours we spend rehearsing so that we're not we're taking a very concerted effort to, uh, to make sure that they're taken care of in the heart and the mind and spirit.

And they don't feel like they're working in order to mak something that they're working and having fun and to.

In order to to do something that they they they really want to have fun making.

Absolutely.

Well, Twala, thank you so much for being with us and thank you for sharing your talents with no today, many of us here at the community.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Notre Dame.

Thank you, Indiana.

Thank you.

South Bend, where it Batel Park in Mishawaka in.

And please bear with me because I have to give you a little bit of a background here I was at signings at the fountain, great Irish band, local band, Kennedy's Kitchen, great Irish music.

And I wanted to dance so badly.

But you know what?

I have no idea how to do Irish dancing.

And then they're in the midst, Wesley Lane.

And here she comes.

Teaching Irish line dancing.

And everybody got up.

So many people got up and it was so much fun.

And then I come to find out that there's a whole line dancing community.

And Elaine, you are part of it.

So what got you?

Where did you kind of get your passion for dancing?

Um, I don't know.

You know, I got into my middle age and I've only been doing it like 14 years.

And I just feel a need to have to get out and enjoy and experience life.

And that was one way to get out and do it.

I love that.

Now, did you ever take any dance lessons or if you did?

Yes.

Yeah.

There's several places around in Elkhart, Mishawaka, Niall's, that you can take dancing lessons.

I highly recommend that.

So I got my confidence built that I could go out and then a group of us will just go out dancing to in the community.

That is so much fun.

And really, wherever there is live music, you can find Elaine and her friends.

And so you go around in the summer, the parks, and then during the winter, you're also go to different places and you do my dancing.

What kind of line dancing do you do?

Well, most of it is country music.

Yeah, that's where most of us get our lessons in the country music.

But we'll take that dance and adapt it to the song, because we'll feel the beat will understand the music, and then we can dance along to almost any song.

We could do a dance to any song you play.

We would find something.

Any song, so.

Motown, jazz, anything.

Yeah, I was thinking I knew that.

So tell me, because I kind of thought, like I said, I wanted to get up I wanted to dance, but I was kind of a little intimidated.

Then you got up and I was like, this woman has hutzpah, OK. Where did you get that?

Because it takes a lot of guts to get up there and start the line dance.

Well, I'm a retired math teacher, so I've always had philosophy.

Practice makes perfect.

So that's just practice whenever you can.

And it will develop and you'll get better when we're out on the dance floor.

We try and tell you the steps for you to follow along.

Yes.

Yes, you do a really good job of kind of leading people.

So people don't have to be afraid even if they don't know it, because you you kind of really lead them through the dance.

Yes.

Yeah.

And we try and get them positioned in between.

And I brought some friends with me today that will position you in between us.

So when you turn around to a different wall because you usually two or four walls, you'll dance on that, you'll have somebody you can follow.

Now, I know you love dancing and your friends love dancing, but I really got a sense that you're doing this in the community to bring a sense of joy, a sense of fun and really a sense of togetherness.

Yes.

Yes.

And it does it does bring us some groups of like dancers all together to enjoy it.

I love meeting new people.

And my goodness, my friendship has grown over the summer here.

Just going out and people just joining and getting to talking to them.

Right.

And I think that's so important that as as regular people in our community, that we there's so much that we can bring to it.

I'm sure many people come up like I did.

And thank you for what you're doing.

They do in the band.

They appreciate it.

They think it.

And we always thank them because without the live bands around, we wouldn't have that experience to go out and do it.

That that's.

And so when you go to the parks and you're in the different play, anybody can get up and join you.

Yes.

Oh, yes.

When we welcome, we want people to get up and join us.

We don't want to be the only ones we we welcome will spread out.

We'll call out the steps.

Yes, we will cheer you on.

All right So today we are going to do some line dancing here on experience Michiana.

And you brought two of your your friends here.

Yes, I did.

What are their names?

OK. Denisa, Japanese and Kathy.

So they're going to join us and we're going to what are we going to do?

Stealing the best deal?

Well, that's the dance.

Stealing the best.

But the Fredi that I met you, we were listening to John Kennedy's Candie's kitchenettes.

They were great.

And I have a CD, so we are going to play one of their songs.

Oh, OK. Good.

All right.

Take it easy on me, OK?

I don't know if I will.

So just follow along with a follow and we're going to go right into it, OK?

OK, one, two, shuffle, step, turn.

Front side, triple front side, triple stomp, kick starter kit.

Triple vind, triple fine with the turn, trip walk.

Step turn, triple fratricide.

Frontside.

Stop.

Kick, triple kick, triple vyn.

So walk, walk, triple step, turn, triple size, triple threat, the size of the triple.

Well, fine, walk, walk, triple step two, triple frontside, triple, frontside, triple.

To triple the size of the triple threat, the triple kick.

Why?

Ladies.

And in person shaking their head, you got to shake that, what is it?

Goody, goody, goody, goody goody bag.

And put a spin in it.

Down to the town.

Pound.

Well, there's a lot of fun.

Yes.

Oh, my goodness, ladies, thank you so much.

And Elaine, thank you again for looking so much fun to see.

How can people get in touch with you?

Well, you can use my email.

That is fine.

Zero four e m d u l any y at Gmail dot com.

Or you can give me a friend request on Facebook and I go out and ask my friends, hey, this bands playing.

I know most of the songs that they play.

So I have the dancers all ready to go when they play the music.

OK, where's your next stop?

Oh, I think it's Thursday at the Wellfield Band.

Highlife will be playing at the welfare gardens.

Wonderful.

We love Wellfield Gardens where there are a lot great people there.

Beautiful place.

Yeah.

All right.

Well, OK, so to find out more, you can also also go on to experience Michiana dot org.

Follow Illane dancing thing.

Yeah.

Well, thank you so much for joining us on this week's experience, Michiana.

And as I'm standing out here, I can't believe that it's the beginning of August.

And you know what?

Before we know it, it's going to be fall.

Let us know what you'd like to see on experience Michiana in the fall and maybe we can experience it together.

See you next week.

This WNIT local production has been made possible in part by viewers like you.

Thank you.