"Flatwater Shakes Me" Celebrates 20 Years of Performances
Flatwater Shakespeare Company invites everyone to join us for an evening of speeches, soliloquies, and stories in celebration of 20 years of educational programs and quality performances. The online event takes place Tuesday, November 10, from 8 to 10 p.m.
The program is free and can be streamed on Flatwater Shakespeare Company's Facebook page, facebook.com/shakespeareLNK, with technical assistance provided by Red Rebel Media.
Actors from throughout the history of Flatwater Shakespeare will be joined by supporters from the Lincoln community in sharing some of their favorite Shakespearean passages. Richard Nielsen returns as Polonius giving advice, as he did in FSC's 2015 “Hamlet.” Margy Ryan gives us Shakespeare's idealized view of love in Sonnet 116 and John Burney a less-than-ideal view in Sonnet 130. The list of other FSC performers includes Stephen Buhler, Keith Ghormley, Alex Hamilton, Jazmine Huertas, Emily Martinez, and Fred Vogel. Newcomers include Jill Cockson, Malin Hayden, Laura Lippman, Holden Meier, Elsa Meyer, Nova Meyer, Amy A. Miller, Dana Rabe, and Dustin Reckling.
There will also be personal stories about what Flatwater Shakespeare has contributed to people's lives and about why the arts always matter, but especially in times such as these. Speakers include Becky Boesen of BLIXT (and past FSC Executive Director), FSC founder and first Artistic Director Bob Hall, Dawn Marie Moe of Shakespeare on the Square in Aurora, NE, FSC actor Paul Shaw, FSC actor Raimy Washington, FSC Stage Manager Extraordinaire Michelle Zinke, and FSC actor Jean-Paul Zuhur.
FSC Executive Artistic Director Summer Lukasiewicz will host the celebration. "I started 2020 by directing 'Romeo and Juliet,'" she says, "getting to work with a beautiful company of actors and didn't get to have you, the audience, in room with us. So we moved the show online. Then our summer production moved to fall and then into the new year. But 2020 was our 20th season of Flatwater Shakespeare, interrupted as it was, and we WILL celebrate it!" She hopes that all who have enjoyed past shows or who just believe in the power of the arts can help honor the past and toast the future.
Donations will be accepted during and after the event at Flatwater Shakespeare's website, www.flatwatershakespearecompany.org.