Theater Profile

A Theater company that I have particular interest in is The Royal Shakespeare Company, located in Stratford-upon-Avon, (the birthplace of William Shakespeare) London, and Newcastle, England. They also go on tour all over the world.
The material they produce is obvious by the title of this regional theater group; they produce plays written by William Shakespeare. Currently, they are about to Julius Caesar and As You Like It, in April and May in Stratford-upon-Avon. Not only do they produce already written plays, they produce performances of new writing, based off Shakespeare’s classics. Written in the company‘s about section is “When the modern Royal Shakespeare Company was established in early 1960s, it was with the belief that new writing was as important an element of the Company's repertoire as Shakespeare.” This is the “heart” of their work. They also perform a few non-Shakespeare plays.
Their company employs over 500 people, with the boast of having Her Majesty the Queen as Patron and His Royal Highness and Prince of Wales as President of the Royal Shakespeare Company. This is why I am drawn to this regional theater group as opposed to others; I have an interest British history, and all of the monarchial business. The jobs they produce are for not only actors and producers, of course. They have jobs in fundraising, marketing, painting, sound costume, and nursing, as they have a day-care facility. These jobs are also available as part of a work-placement program. There, a person can gain the experience of working for a true theater company, and see all of the behind-the-scenes action.
They also have “Open Door Events” for children in years 10-11 and 12-13. This is to give children the understanding and knowledge of what happens during a theater production. It also shows the students how the different sectors of an international theater company can collaborate to produce a work of art.
The Royal Shakespeare Company has an entire section devoted to the craftsman that do all of the behind-the-scenes work. They show you the wig-making process, the make-up, costumes, props, armory, design, painting, and stage management. This Shakespeare theater company differs from a theater company in the time of the actual William Shakespeare, in the early 1600s. Men played the women in his plays, like Juliet Capulet, Hermia, and Ophelia. They were forced to shave their beards and act with a small voice, as Nick Bottom is required to in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Today, the company has women to fill these historical parts.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream is my favorite Shakespeare play, out of the productions I have read. My love for his writing stems from my High School English teachers’ love for the playwright. As teachers usually do, there were huge pictures of the past and present Globe Theater. We were forced to read numerous works of his during my high school career. These included Julius Caesar, Romeo and Juliet, and Macbeth. For a reading competition, I was forced to read A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and I fell in love with the story. It is funny, romantic, and mischievous, and includes fairies. My favorite genre of reading is fiction, and this play of Shakespeare’s falls directly into that category. If The Royal Shakespeare Company were to arrive in Pittsburgh, I would love to see one of their shows; now that I have learned their history, it would make the experience even more magical.