Experience 7: Shakespeare in the Grove

If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but slumber'd here
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend:
if you pardon, we will mend:
And, as I am an honest Puck,
If we have unearned luck
Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue,
We will make amends ere long;
Else the Puck a liar call;
So, good night unto you all.
Give me your hands, if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends.
(Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act V, Scene i)

I have seen a few Shakespearean performances in my life and have read most of Shakespeare’s plays. I’ve seen the contemporary version of Romeo and Juliet and enjoyed a variety of interpretations of the bard’s work. What I’ve never done before is see Shakespeare performed outside. So, on a midsummer's night, Jay and I headed out to see Shakespeare performed as his plays were originally intended—outdoors.

Tidewater Community College has hosted an annual Shakespeare in the Grove production for the past eleven years. Each year, the theatre troupe led by the vision of creative director Ed Jacob, interprets a different Shakespeare play (often in a very different form than Shakespeare originally intended) and performs it over several days during the summer for the audiences who gather in the “grove” on the sprawling campus.

Though I’ve lived right down the road from TCC for seven years, this was the first time I’ve experienced Shakespeare in the Grove. In addition to more traditional productions, past offerings have included a 1950s version of Two Gentlemen of Verona and a 1970s disco version of Love's Labour's Lost. This year, the troupe performed one of my favorite plays, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, with the twist being the time period and setting: 1900s Appalachia. While I was skeptical at first, their interpretation was entertaining and spot-on. I never felt they were stretching the credibility of the play by taking it so far outside the context of the original. A Midsummer Night’s Dream was written in the 1590s and set in Athens and they successfully made it work for early twentieth century American mountain folk.

Darkness fell and the full moon rose about half-way into the play, bringing an air of magic to the green-lighted stage set (and also bringing out every biting bug known to man). The fairies were a delight, as was the big-voiced Oberon and lovely Titania and Puck was his usual mischievous self. There were some weak performances, but the cast worked very well together to bring Shakespeare to life for a diverse and appreciative audience. The best part? The performance is free, which makes me feel particularly generous in my praise and appreciation. It was truly a delightful way to spend a summer’s night. I only wish I'd thought to bring my camera so I would have some pictures to share.

After studying Shakespeare for over two decades, I've grown to love his deft use of language and multi-layered plots. He can be difficult to read, but plays are meant to be seen and experienced. It's important to remember that Shakespeare wrote for the average citizen. His plays were entertainment and diversion from the difficulties of everyday life. The theatre troupe of Tidewater Community College did a fabulous job of conjuring the spirit of Shakespeare with their animated and enthusiastic interpretation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.



Do It Yourself

A few things to know about seeing an outdoor Shakespeare production…

--Bug spray, bug spray, bug spray! Use liberally.

--Bring beach chairs rather than a blanket. Your back will thank you later. Do make sure your chairs are low enough not to block the view of anyone who does sit on the ground, however.

--Bring snacks and beverages, or make a picnic of it. One of the best things about theatre outdoors is that you can bring your own food, unlike the more formal indoor performances.

--Get into the spirit of things. Maybe Shakespeare set in 1900s Appalachia isn’t your cup of tea, but maybe you can appreciate the creativity necessary to adapt Shakespeare to a different era and setting.

--New to Shakespeare? Don’t be scared. Shakespeare wrote for the masses, which means his plots are easily understood even if the language eludes you the first (or second) times you see a play.

Experience 3: Getting My Master's Degree

It took me nearly twelve years, off and on (mostly off) to finish my Bachelor’s degree. I started out like most people do, as a fresh-faced eighteen year old with no real idea what I wanted to do, even though I was “the girl most likely to go to college.” After two and a half years (and two schools), three majors, financial and home problems and the lure of the big money to be found in retail management (ha!), I dropped out. A few years later, I was married and working a series of unrewarding jobs (I was only beginning to dabble in writing professionally), so I decided to go back to school. Three years, two more schools and a bunch of lost credits later, I finally got a B.A. in English. It was one of the most rewarding moments of my life—not because the degree itself meant all that much, but because my self-esteem had suffered from not living up to expectations (not only others’ expectations, but especially my own). I also rediscovered my love for learning in the process: my initial college experience fell under the “something I’m supposed to do” category; the second time around, I was there because I wanted to be there. It made all the difference.

When I decided in 2003 that I wanted to return to college for my Master’s degree, I debated what to study. I was leaning toward a M.A. in English for a long time. I even went so far as to start the application process for the English degree. Something didn’t feel quite right about it and I dragged my heels for a year. The curriculum felt too restricted—and too familiar—the same literature I’d read as an undergraduate, several times in some cases, with very few electives. I wanted to go back to school because I wanted to learn and I like learning. I was afraid getting a Master’s in English would feel too much like repeating my undergraduate degree.

I stumbled into the M.A. in Humanities based on the catalog description. It was described as a “Do It Yourself” degree, meaning it was interdisciplinary with only a few required courses (three, in my case). The rest of the curriculum is based on the student’s individual interests, with classes as diverse as Art History, Theatre, English, Foreign Language, Music, International Studies, History and Communications. The idea for the degree in Humanities is to dovetail your interests into one cohesive course of study. The individuality of it appealed to me, along with the fact that I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do in the first place.

Not surprisingly, my two years of graduate studies included several literature classes. Despite the limitations of the English degree, literature is my first love and I was able to take classes that piqued my interest without worrying about meeting any requirements. I also took a lot of Humanities classes (though it’s not required for the degree) because the interdisciplinary nature of Humanities appeals to me. Many of the classes I took were cross-listed as English and Humanities or Women’s Studies. At the moment, I’m considering finishing the requirements for a certificate in Women’s Studies.

I graduated with thirty-seven credit hours. For the curious, these are the classes I took:

Humanities 601 and 602 (required)
Humanities: Capstone (required, takes the place of a thesis)
Language, Power and Gender (cross-listed as English and Women’s Studies)
Women Writers (cross-listed as English, Humanities and Women’s Studies)
English Seminar: Edgar Allan Poe (English)
American Literature 1810-1870 (English)
American Literature 1870-1945 (English)
Asian American Literature (English)
U.S. Popular Culture (cross-listed as English and Humanties)
Harlem Renaissance Literature (English)
Feminist Thought (Women’s Studies)
Theatre in London (Theatre; 1 credit hour; my second trip to London!)

I finished my course work for my degree on May 3 and graduation was on May 5, the day I arrived in London. I had decided not to attend graduation because it was more important to me to be in London a couple days before my 40th birthday, when I’d be over the jetlag, than it was to attend a 9 AM graduation (I have my priorities). Because I didn’t attend graduation, my degree was mailed to me. So, though I was technically finished with my Master’s degree before my birthday, I didn’t truly feel like I’d completed my goal until I saw this:





Do It Yourself

If you want to go to graduate school…

--Make sure the program is right for you. The best thing I did was apply for the M.A. in Humanities rather than English. It didn’t felt right to get another English degree and, though it took me an extra year to get back in school, it worked out for the best because I found a program that was perfect for me.

--Don’t give up on grad school just because you’ve been out of school for a few (or many) years. There are graduate programs for everyone, so if you need to take evening classes or can’t move to another state or don’t want to sit in a classroom, there is probably a program for you.

--Consider your undergraduate studies, but don’t be limited by them. While I took a lot of literature classes, I didn’t want to be limited to only that subject. I also didn’t have a foreign language requirement for my undergraduate degree and didn’t want to commit the time to getting one for my Master’s degree—something I didn’t have to do for the Humanities program.

--Just do it. The best thing about graduate school is that your studies are more focused than your undergraduate curriculum. So if you loved English and hated Math, major in English and you’ll never have to take a Math class again! Or vice versa. In theory, your graduate studies should be in a subject you are both interested in and good at. What better reason to go back to school?