This summer, the free “Shakespeare in the Ravine” event hosted by the Appalachian Shakespeare Center at Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) returns, featuring a live, in-person production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
The outdoor performances will take place at 7:30 p.m. on July 22 - 24 and July 29 - 31 in the Ravine of EKU’s main campus in Richmond, Kentucky. Admission is free to the public and open for all ages to attend.
This production showcases a unique storytelling element: puppetry. Matthew Johnson, the director of the Appalachian Shakespeare Center and associate professor at EKU, explained, “We wanted to take advantage of the gorgeous expanse of the Ravine by designing Shakespeare’s Faerie folk as puppets. So, we spent the spring building hand-and-rod puppets, body puppets, and a few giant puppets! Some are almost fifteen feet tall and controlled by multiple puppeteers.”
The Appalachian Shakespeare Center at EKU has been hosting productions of Shakespeare’s work for nearly six years. The mission of the organization is to promote agency and citizenship by engaging learners and audiences with the works of William Shakespeare.
“We’re looking forward to providing the community with the opportunity to come together and enjoy a funfilled spectacle the audience won’t get to see anywhere else,” Johnson said.
For more information, contact Matthew Johnson, Director of the Appalachian Shakespeare Center at Eastern Kentucky University 859-622-1319 by phone or email at Matthew.Johnson2@eku.edu.