THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 2, 1996 TAG: 9608020457
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Review
SOURCE: BY JO-ANN CLEGG, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 87 lines
A typical midsummer night almost scuttled the Summer Shakes' opening performance of ``A Midsummer Night's Dream'' this week.
Almost, but not quite.
With lightning flashing across the sky, rain turning streets into waterways and winds dispatching stage sets across lawns, the undaunted troupe loaded its gear into a truck and moved its season opener Wednesday from the lawn in front of the Lake Edward Community Center to the auditorium of nearby Bayside Middle School.
Most of the audience followed. Two hours later, when the lively, colorful show ended, they were glad they did.
``I wish I could get a bus to get the kids (who hadn't been able to see Wednesday's show) to one of the other neighborhoods to see it,'' said Lake Edward resident Michael Wilson shortly after the house lights came up.
Wilson is not alone in wanting to give youngsters in the neighborhood an opportunity to get involved in good theater. The neighborhood's one-night stand for the rollicking Shakespearean comedy was meant to pique the youngsters' interest in something known as the 4-H Street Smart Theater project.
Virginia Wesleyan College, the Virginia Beach Police Department and the Virginia Beach 4-H program have received a $13,123 Community Organization Incentive Grant to give youngsters in the Lake Edward area a chance to experience the theater.
``What we hope to do,'' said Extension Agent Joe Hoffenberger, who works with the 4-H program, ``is to teach the kids verbal and non-verbal communications skills using the arts as a vehicle.''
With the help of Virginia Wesleyan, the sponsors also hope to expose the youngsters to a college environment. ``We want them to see what is going on there, maybe make some changes in how they view their future,'' Hoffenberger said.
It was a timely introduction to the arts that did just that for one member of ``A Midsummer Night's Dream'' cast.
A decade ago, Brad Breckenridge - now a junior at Norfolk State University - was a typically restless youngster, trying to find his niche in the confusing world of male adolescence.
``I had a difficult time as far as my academics were concerned,'' said Breckenridge, who grew up in the College Park neighborhood, where he and his parents still live. Not a whole lot about school interested him.
Then, as a seventh-grader at Brandon Middle School, he and a friend teamed up to read Lewis Carroll's ``Jabberwocky'' for an English class project, a drama competition.
They took first place. The prize was a chance to perform their offering at Pembroke Mall. Breckenridge ended up hooked on theater. He's been into drama in a big way ever since.
Wednesday night, as Oberon, King of the Fairies, he was center stage for much of the production. Wise, funny, strong and occasionally bemused, he was the kind of young adult - and ``A Midsummer Night's Dream'' was the kind of production - that could give the youngsters a whole new view of classical theater.
Bentley Anderson, a Virginia Wesleyan professor of theater communications, is directing the summer performances of ``A Midsummer Night's Dream,'' which will continue its run at several Beach locations this month, including the Francis Land House, Mount Trashmore and the Virginia Beach Center for the Arts.
Lake Edward was chosen for the one-night neighborhood performance because Anderson also will be working with the Street Smart Theater program there.
The program aims to train about 30 Lake Edward youths who attend Bayside Middle School.
Anderson shares Hoffenberger's vision of what the project should accomplish.
``I'm not after a polished production at the end of the (school) year,'' Anderson said. ``I'm interested in getting them to use their imagination and develop interpersonal skills. I want to get them to explore some new ways of communicating.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by D. KEVIN ELLIOTT/The Virginian-Pilot
Kent Collins, left, played his puckish part to Brad Breckenridge's
Oberon in a scene from ``A Midsummer Night's Dream'' Wednesday night
at Bayside Middle School. The Shakespeare play kicked off the 4-H
Street Smart Theater program, which shares drama with local
children.
Graphic
FOR DETAILS
Call 425-1154 for information on times and locations for ``A
Midsummer Night's Dream.''
Information on the Street Smart Theater program and other special
projects in the Lake Edward area is available at 455-3293. by CNB