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From left, Austin Zimmerman, Charli Purser and Eden Bostrom perform during a preview of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at the Castle Amphitheatre in Provo on Friday, June 30, 2023.

Harrison Epstein, Daily Herald

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From left, Seven Harrison and Sydney Claire perform during a preview of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at the Castle Amphitheatre in Provo on Friday, June 30, 2023.

Harrison Epstein, Daily Herald

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Rick Macy and Amanda Williams perform during a preview of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at the Castle Amphitheatre in Provo on Friday, June 30, 2023.

Harrison Epstein, Daily Herald

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From left, Joshua Johnson and Seven Harrison perform during a preview of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at the Castle Amphitheatre in Provo on Friday, June 30, 2023.

Harrison Epstein, Daily Herald

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Josh Munoz performs during a preview of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at the Castle Amphitheatre in Provo on Friday, June 30, 2023.

Harrison Epstein, Daily Herald

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The cast of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" performs during a preview show at the Castle Amphitheatre in Provo on Friday, June 30, 2023.

Harrison Epstein, Daily Herald

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Sydney Claire reacts as, from left, Joshua Johnson, Sonja Hugo and Seven Harrison fight during a preview of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at the Castle Amphitheatre in Provo on Friday, June 30, 2023.

Harrison Epstein, Daily Herald

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There were almost 500 years between William Shakespeare writing “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and The Marvelettes releasing their song “Please Mr. Postman.” Still, the 1960s pop classic — and other songs of the ’60s and ’70s — help open performances of Shakespeare’s work at the Castle Amphitheatre Summer Shakespeare Festival.

The Renaissance Now Theatre and Film company’s festival is returning to Provo throughout July with showings of the comedic “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and dramatic “Hamlet.”

“We are known for trying to really make it live and make it sound like people are just saying what they would really say and using the Shakespeare text,” artistic director Kathy Curtiss said. “These guys are really, really, really doing a good job of that.”

The festival started 30 years, according to Curtiss, before going on hiatus when she moved to New York City. She and the festival returned seven years ago, bringing annual performances of Shakespeare works to Utah County.

Even during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival continued by moving to Rock Canyon Park and not charging for tickets.

The over two dozen actors come from different walks of life to participate in the festival. The cast is made up of students at Brigham Young University and Utah Valley University along with local professionals. For some, it’s their first time with the company, while others have taken to the Castle Amphitheatre stage before. Laurie Harrop-Purser, director of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and associate professor at UVU, is also participating in the festival for the first time.

The use of modern music and language, Harrop-Purser believes, can pull the crowd into the tale. The modernization of the show, along with what she called a standout group of actors and crew, help increase the allure of the upcoming performances.

The two shows also offer different styles for any attendees, depending on their preferences.

“‘Midsummer’s’ such an ensemble piece. ‘Hamlet’ has, also, many really amazing characters, but one person does definitely highlight ‘Hamlet,'” Harrop-Purser said. “We certainly tried to make it not stodgy but, in fact, accessible to a modern audience.”

Seeking to stand out in an area ripe with available theatrical performances, the stage itself allows for a unique viewing experience. The Castle Amphitheatre, atop Center Street and above the Utah State Hospital, is an outdoor stage venue with elevated gravel seating akin to those found in Shakespeare’s London.

“Being able to perform in a setting with cobblestones and turrets and actual trees around, it feels very much like ‘Midsummer,'” said actor Sydney Claire. “It just feels so much more authentic to be outdoors and really just being able to immerse yourself in kind of a similar space as what we’re talking about in the script.”

To reach the stage, actors must wait behind cobblestone walkways and trees, dashing back and forth after adjusting their mental clocks for distance. As much as the actors look forward to enjoy the ambiance of the outdoor stage, it can provide challenges — some technical and others amusing.

On the open grass field underneath the amphitheater sits part of a disc golf course. While there’s no issues with recreational events taking in the space during the summer months, especially as the sun sets, it’s led to memorable moments for the cast.

“I don’t know how, the holes are on opposite sides, but somehow we got a Frisbee that got flown like right between our heads,” actor Josh Munoz said. Landing on stage, thankfully for the actors during a rehearsal, it was a testament to the space. That, and the ability to clearly see the audience’s reactions to each and every moment.

“It’s a hard transition to try to remember all your lines, and your blocking, when there’s this face that you’ve never seen before that you’re also looking at,” actor Charli Purser said.

One of the difficulties of the venue, though, is the unpredictable nature of summer weather. While Shakespeare’s performances would move to nearby pubs, actor Preston Ochsenhirt said, one of the backup plans for the Renaissance Now shows is to move into the castle’s turrets.

When there’s no inclement weather or cloud coverage, the view allows for a unique experience. From the front row, attendees can see the overhead shine turn into a backlit glow as the night progresses. From seats at the top, everything from the stage across Provo, Utah Lake and to the other side of the valley is completely visible.

“Obviously, that’s not the type of view that you’re gonna get inside of some sort of closed indoor theater space,” Austin Zimmerman said.

The actors also encourage audience members to be expressive and react along with the show. As they can see people’s faces throughout each show, they want the stricter barriers between stage and audience broken down so “audience members really feel like they become invested,” Claire said.

Tickets are available on the Renaissance Now website — renaissancenow.com –for upcoming shows. The company will perform “Hamlet” on Thursdays and Saturdays until July 15 with showings of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” on Mondays and Fridays until July 14.

After the Utah run is completed, the troupe will perform each show three times from July 27-29 at Chain Theatre in the heart of New York City, blocks away from Madison Square Garden and the Empire State Building.

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