“Shakespeare is kind of my world,” said Andrew Mitakides, who graduated last year with a master’s degree in classical acting from The George Washington University and will portray the titular Scottish general who becomes king. “Dayton is ripe for Shakespeare. We are doing next level Shakespeare.”
Credit: Matt Silver
Credit: Matt Silver
Shakespeare in South Park, founded in 2008, and Shakespeare in the Heights (Huber Heights), founded in 2024, are notable local organizations with a passion for the Bard. Gem City Groundlings acknowledged their outlook will be different.
First and foremost, as artistic director and chief executive officer, Andrew reached out to Bess Kaye, a fellow Shakespeare afficionado and graduate of the George Washington University. Kaye, who serves as associate producer of “Macbeth,” is a fight director and intimacy choreographer based in Washington, D.C.
“There is a big void in Dayton in the shape of the Bard,” said Kaye, who will portray Lady Macbeth. “The (acting) program that Andrew and I did at George Washington University is very physical in its emphasis. The program (involves) stage combat, movement, mask. It’s all about the specificity of movement. It’s full-bodied Shakespeare and we are bringing full, totally embodied Shakespeare to this town. We cannot wait.”
The Centerville High School graduate and former host of DATV’s “Gem City Tonight with Host Andrew Mitakides” said the production will have minimal set and feature a small cast in which actors are doubled. The costumes will also be fairly ambiguous.
“We’re focusing on the language,” Mitakides said.
“Shakespeare was writing for the groundlings — the common people — and it was accessible to everybody," Kaye said. “There’s no need to separate Shakespeare from people like it’s some lofty or disconnected thing. It’s got to be accessible. I don’t treat Shakespeare like it’s a foreign language. And when you have actors that understand what they are saying — and it’s clear, motivated and fully embodied — the audience will absolutely understand what they are saying.”
Credit: Matt Silver
Credit: Matt Silver
Levitt Pavilion organizers are also excited to collaborate with the company, providing a rare opportunity for a theatrical production to take the stage under the stars.
“As we continue to look for ways to activate Levitt Pavilion Dayton and encourage this community asset to be leveraged by performing arts organizations, we are absolutely thrilled that the Gem City Groundlings are bringing ‘Macbeth’ to our space with two community performances,” said Lisa Wagner, executive director for Levitt Pavilion Dayton. “Creating access for all to a high caliber arts experience has always been our focus, and seeing Shakespeare coming to life in our park this summer is so exciting.”
Kaye agreed, particularly in terms of community outreach.
“The outreach to the community and providing free Shakespeare — there is a demand for it,” she said.
Mitakides is presently working with Shakespeare Behind Bars, an educational program for inmates at the Loudoun Adult Detention Center in Leesburg, Va. He also wants his visiting artists to provide master classes this summer in classical acting, fight choreography and script analysis. He plans to bring his one-person play “Shakespeare My Father Never Saw” to the Dayton Art Institute as well.
MORE DETAILS
“Macbeth” will be performed June 19-28 at the Glass Center with performances June 26 and 27 at Levitt Pavilion. Local auditions are slated for early April.
In addition the company will produce the local premiere of Keith Huff’s two-hander policemen drama “A Steady Rain” in the fall. Production dates are forthcoming.
Gem City Groundlings will also make an appearance April 23 at the Buckeye Vodka Battle of the Bartenders and June 14 at the Wine Festival at The Greene Town Center. An excerpt from “A Midsummer’s Night Dream” will be presented at the Wine Festival.
For more information, visit gemcitygroundlings.com. You can also email Mitakides at andrew@gemcitygroundlings.com or gemcitygroundlings@gmail.com. The company is on Facebook and Instagram as well.
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