Shakespeare In The Park Entertains Residents
With a forecast of possible thunderstorms in the area, the Montana Shakespeare in the Park troupe made sure that the show must go on for the performance in Wolf Point on Friday, June 26.
Sam Cheeseman, tour manager, said part of the reason for the decision to move the Wolf Point show inside was that the performance the previous night in Malta couldn’t be completed because of a heavy rainstorm.
“We have a beautiful theater here and we knew the Wolf Point audience would still come,” Cheeseman said of acting at the Wolf Point High School auditorium.
As the group was preparing the scenery that afternoon, Cheesman said changes to an indoor show include that the stage will be a little different. He added, “We will have to be a little quieter. We’re used to projecting in a whole park.”
Along with serving as the tour manager, Cheeseman also acts in both The Merchant of Venice as Gratiano/ Aragon and Much Ado About Nothing as Don John/George. This marks his fourth summer and 12th tour overall with Montana Shakespeare in the Parks.
“It brings people together,” Cheeseman said of sharing the performances with people throughout the state. “Shakespeare is a nice vehicle for communities.” He added families can come out and enjoy the night with picnics or playing card games.
He describes the current acting troupe as amazing.
“There’s a lot of new folks this year and not many alumni. They go with the flow,” he said. “There’s an eagerness and excitement. We have people that have never seen the mountains before.”
