After Milan’s Earth Day Fair wrapped up at Wilson Park on April 26, a small group gathered under the trees for a different kind of community activity: Shakespeare.
Milan Theatre Co. hosted a free Shakespeare audition workshop from 3 to 5 p.m. at the park. The hands-on event required no experience, registration or memorized material.
Led by Nora Kuzdak, the workshop invited participants into Shakespeare through group reading, movement, character work and play. Milan Theatre Co. described the event on social media as “approachable Shakespeare,” inviting “the novice, the expert, the haters and lovers and everyone in between.”
The afternoon began with a lighthearted birthday song for William Shakespeare, whose exact birth date is unknown but is traditionally observed on April 23. That date is based in part on his baptism record from April 26, 1564, and is also the day he died in 1616.
From there, Kuzdak led the group through exercises meant to make Shakespeare feel less intimidating and more collaborative. Participants practiced different energies and atmospheres, traded Shakespearean insults and talked about what makes directing difficult.
When Kuzdak asked why directing is hard, Evelyn answered, “Because it’s all on you.”
Kuzdak added that directing also means learning how to give useful feedback.
Participants later broke into two groups for Shakespeare readings. Kuzdak encouraged them to slow down and examine the language, asking what they noticed about verse, prose and ensemble work before each group performed its piece.
The workshop turned a section of Wilson Park into an informal outdoor stage, carrying the day from environmental education into community theater.
For Milan Theatre Co., the event offered a low-pressure way to invite residents to read, perform and play with Shakespeare together.
Featured image: Participants read from Shakespeare during Milan Theatre Co.’s free audition workshop at Wilson Park. Photo by Heather Finch
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