BY LUCIA MAURO
As Shakespeare on the Green enters its 11th season producing a free outdoor theatrical buffet of the Bard on the sloping grounds of Barat College in Lake Forest, a large-scale reorganization has transpired. One year ago, Barat College and DePaul University –both Catholic institutions–forged an alliance that, in essence, helped save the financially challenged Barat from closing its doors. Now the Barat Campus is owned and operated by DePaul, and its Theatre Department is part of The Theatre School at DePaul.
Yet these changes may be barely visible to the more than 10,000 people expected to attend Shakespeare on the Green’s (SOTG’s) staging of Othello July 26- Aug. 11. SOTG is a professional company, which grew out of Barat’s theatre program and now offers four Equity contracts. Besides $10 million worth of construction renovations taking place inside buildings of the small liberal-arts Lake Forest campus, the exterior–with its Tudor-style architecture as a backdrop–will continue to provide a historic setting for al fresco Shakespeare.
According to JoAnne Zielinski, SOTG’s co-founder/managing director, the alliance has naturally sparked benefits and challenges. The reorganization was in its early stages last summer during SOTG’s production of The Tempest. When SOTG informed DePaul’s Theatre School administrators that they would be inheriting a theatre company dedicated to free, high-quality Shakespeare productions, DePaul agreed to commit to SOTG’s continued existence on the Barat campus.
"We’re all benefiting from the alliance," explains Zielinski. "DePaul has expanded its reach into Lake County, and I can’t stress enough the depth that The Theatre School complied with our [Theatre Department’s] organizational structure. DePaul offers us the talent and resources of the university–from theatre students and theatre professionals to lawyers and budget managers."
Zielinski states that she and fellow SOTG co-founders Karla Koskinen (artistic director) and Steve Carmichael (production manager/lighting designer and chair of the Barat campus’ Theatre Arts Program) have made a smooth transition from Barat Theatre Department’s faculty to The Theatre School on the Barat campus. She also notes, however, that fundraising strategies are currently being revisited.
In 1994, SOTG inaugurated its "Friends of Shakespeare" program to encourage support from individual donors–many of them Barat College alums. Maintaining those ties is a top priority for Zielinski, who has made it a point to foster a healthy relationship with the surrounding Lake Forest community during this transitional time (which includes on-campus construction).
In the past, some of the nearby residents expressed their concern over SOTG’s outdoor sound system. This summer, SOTG will install smaller speakers across the lawn to reduce the noise and distorted sound quality generated by large speakers on stage. In the area of fundraising, SOTG can work with the greater pool of DePaul resources to help offset its current $200,000 budget.
Since the beginning, the three SOTG founders made sure they covered all their bases. Zielinski, Koskinen and Carmichael were inspired by the New York Shakespeare Festival. They decided to establish a free summer Shakespeare company that would be attached to the then-Barat College’s Theatre Department. Early on, they adhered to their belief that free performances also could boast outstanding talent.
Zielinski, an actor, brought her expertise in marketing, fundraising and producing outdoor events to the group; Koskinen, a director, shaped the respected artistic tone; and Carmichael heads up the troupe’s technical/production side.
"We approached the President of Barat College," relates Zielinski, "and we were very tenacious in our desire to make this happen. Our initial budget was $34,000, and we were able to get in-kind services from the college, like housekeeping, parking and security, as well as assistance from the [Barat’s Drake Theatre’s] box office and development office."
SOTG’s opened with A Midsummer Night’s Dream for one weekend and got rained out on opening night. The second night, it started to rain three-quarters of the way into the performance, but the audience stayed until the end. That’s when the co-founders were convinced they struck a chord with local audiences. They extended one more weekend and attracted crowds.
Interestingly, Zielinski notes that productions in the college’s Drake Theatre were not highly attended by the Lake Forest community. But the free outdoor SOTG performances became a huge draw; and audiences quickly became exposed to the larger Theatre Department. Earlier, from 1969 to 1979, the Drake Theatre housed the American Festival Theater Company, a professional troupe whose members included Jason Robards, Cicely Tyson and Lynn Redgrave. The college, therefore, boasted a fine dramatic pedigree.
For artistic director Koskinen, a desire to constantly craft and hone the productions–paired with a lovely outdoor setting–has sparked a loyal following. "It’s so wonderful to get actors and audiences out of a dark space and into a new environment," she says. "We have managed to attract quality actors, who make their choices as specific as possible."
Koskinen notes that she takes a fairly traditional approach to Shakespeare and downplays the violence for family audiences. She does not, however, alter the text. She views the DePaul alliance as prompting "an influx of talent–we’ve been able to add positions like voice coach."
Even as SOTG moves into a higher-profile phase, Zielinski plans to continues its successful strategy of partnering with corporations and foundations interested in getting their product’s name out.
"I would encourage anyone to partner with a highly visible corporation," she urges, "even in exchange for in-kind goods. And those can run the gamut of donating airline tickets for the raffle or providing beverage service for your volunteers. You’re establishing good will, and these partnerships can lead to other opportunities."
She adds that one of SOTG’s supporters is the new Barat Education Foundation, a fundraising organization established during the Barat-DePaul alliance. Future plans include constructing a new stage and possibly re-landscaping the grounds to provide better sight lines. In ten years, Zielinski envisions SOTG growing into an Ashland, Oregon-type Shakespeare festival offering "full-tilt rotating rep."
To arrive at that goal, she says the company is now "working on clarifying our branding, creating philanthropic partners and building community relations."
For more information, call 847604-6344 or visit www.barat.edu/shakespeare.