Summer Tour
MONTANA SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARKS
 MSIP Summer Tour 2010- A Midsummer Night's DreamThe 2012 media packet includes; Schedule for TourSYNOPSIS-HENRY VSYNOPSIS-RECRUITING OFFICER
Download Media Packet Since 1973…Free Every Summer!Montana Shakespeare in the Parks (MSIP) is the only fully professional touring theatre program in the state currently producing Shakespeare’s plays, the only Shakespeare company in the country to reach as extensively into rural areas and the only company in the state that offers its performances free to the public, guaranteeing accessibility to all. MSIP travels to 60 communities every summer with 75 performances throughout MT, northern Wyoming, eastern Idaho, western North Dakota and eastern Washington with an emphasis on underserved, rural areas. Over 40% of the communities served by MSIP have a population of less than 2,000 and nearly 80% have less than 10,000. Since 1973, the summer touring program has presented over 2,150 performances to nearly three-quarters of a million people. MSIP is a nationally recognized outreach program of the College of Arts and Architecture at Montana State University.Notes from the Artistic Director-Joel Jahnke-HamletOkay, first of all let me get this out of the way. I think this may be the finest play ever written. The story, the unforgettable and tangible characters, the "rock your soul" human themes, the action, the brilliant language… not bad for starters. As I have been working on it I keep being reminded, how many famous lines… lines that have become woven into the very language we speak every day…there are from this play. Okay so I like this play, that’s for certain. I am very excited that we are producing this play for the first time in our forty year history and I don’t want our audiences to be disappointed. I will rely on what has worked for me in directing plays for this wonderful company for the last thirty years or so. Cast it well, hire fabulous designers and trust them, cut the play to fit our restrictions of time, make it as understandable and accessible as possible and trust Shakespeare. He’s never let me down before. This is a play about so many things but to me this is the story of one young man’s journey. A ‘coming of age’ story if you will. I see Hamlet as a young man.. a college kid. He’s full of angst anyway and then his father dies and his mother hastily marries his uncle who he wasn’t all that fond of to begin with. Almost immediately, we are shown Hamlet discovering the real truth behind his father’s death (from his ghost no less….what’s not to love about this play?) and that sets the wheels of revenge rolling that can not be stopped until we reach the tragic conclusion. So I want to create a Denmark that is royal, classy and also full of decadence, a Denmark in the late twenties where all these beautiful people must tragically die. It’s a beautiful Denmark but unfortunately, it’s rotten.Notes from the Director- William Brown- Twelfth NightEvery scene in the play is about longing. Unrequited, all-consuming longing. Orsino wants a woman he will never have. Olivia wants a boy who does not exist. Viola wants a man who thinks she's a great guy. Malvolio wants a life he will never live. This is a very funny play and frequently funny because of all that excessive longing. Mistaken identity plays a major role in the comedy of Twelfth Night, complicating all the desire. But is it mistaken? Olivia is drawn to a woman, in a story full of particularly clumsy men, who speaks like she does. I am stealing a little from myself in terms of positioning this play in time and space. The one other time I did Twelfth Night, I horrified the artistic director by announcing that my inspiration for the play was Pirates of the Caribbean. Not the movie, but the ride. He had no idea what I was talking about. But that is really the quick smart aleck explanation. I feel Illyria must be a dangerous place or why else would Viola feel the need to disguise herself as a man? It must be a beautiful place and it must be a place where ships are wrecked and sailors rule and people begin again. Sounds like pirates to me. This Pirate Place is the New World, where pirates (Orsino and his crowd, as well as Antonio) and ex-patriots (Olivia as the "governor's daughter", Sir Andrew, Sir Toby) who have left England are all thrown together. Their music is the improvised sound of the New World -- English melodies gone native with African and Spanish rhythms and there are three songs in the play. One other note. The longing must be real. I've seen too many productions where the Orsino is just a preening boy who doesn't love anybody. But it takes real conviction to love someone who won't even give you the time of day. This is not a satire of love. It is heart-stoppingly real. What's funnier than that?Shakespeare in the Parks- Play History
 MSIP communities 1973-2012- Maps courtesy of Noreen BreedingAuditionsAudition Details for MSIPThank you for your interest in becoming a member of the Montana Shakespeare in the Parks (MSIP) Acting Company. MSIP historically holds auditions in CHICAGO in January. These are by appointment only and information is placed on the web site as soon as it is available. Audition appointments often fill very quickly. In addition, the company attends the Montana summer theatre auditions which are held annually in MISSOULA on the University of Montana campus in late January. There is a participation fee for Non-University of MT students. Information for those auditions is also placed on the website as soon as it is known. If time and schedules permit, private auditions in BOZEMAN can be arranged at any time by contacting our office (406) 994-3903 or we do accept video taped auditions. You may either submit a DVD or you can post your audition on YOUTUBE and provide a link for us. Live auditions are always preferable. The deadline for application is February 1st annually and decisions on hiring take place in early February. All auditions should include two contrasting Shakespearean selections. Please keep to less than four minutes in length. Each year Shakespeare in the Parks employs 10 actors for a fifteen-week season that includes rehearsals and a multi-state tour in Montana, northern Wyoming, Eastern Idaho, western North Dakota and eastern Washington. Two plays rehearse for five weeks starting in late May and then tour the region for a ten-week period ending in early September. Starting salaries are $400/week plus room and board allowance while on tour. Housing in Bozeman is also provided. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact our office. Joel Jahnke, Artistic Director Travelogue of photos     See more photos Comments from Our Audience
PRE-HOLIDAY BLOWOUT SALEMSIP needs to get rid of all of last summer's merchandise and that's good for you! All items are deeply discounted and we still have a good variety of colors and sizes available. Check out photos of what we have left with prices, sizes and colors available as well as ordering information and get your Holiday shopping finished early this year!ANATOMY OF A TOUR Accessibility Statement-2012 Friends of Shakespeare in the ParksArchive PhotosOther |
JONATHAN ALTMAN
SEAN DRISCOLL
NILE HAWVER
GRAYSON HEYL
CASEY HOEKSTRA
STEVE PEEBLES
MIRIAM REUTER
ANDREA SAN MIGUEL
DAN TOOT
KODY WALKER