The Boise Bard Players are not your usual Shakespearean theatre company. They don’t perform at the usual theaters and the costumes are somewhat minimal. Instead, the Boise Bard Players bring to life the plays, possibly just as William Shakespeare did in the days before fame brought him to showcase his works at the Globe Theatre in London. For one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, they are presenting it in some interesting locations. During this Summer Season, several locations will be graced by the production of this enduring comedy, One of the most interesting is the Bishop’s House, in Boise’s Old Penitentiary Historical District.
The Boise Bard Players state as their goal “ to make Shakespeare and other classical plays and playwrights accessible to everyone economically and emotionally”. As part of the way to achieve this, their minimalistic performances use simple or no costumes, stage settings and venues. Chris Canfield, the Artistic Director and Co-Director of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, explained to The Boise Beat what that entails. He said, “The Boise Bard Players was formed to take Shakespeare and other classical plays off the pedestals that society and academia often puts them on and produce them in a stripped down, in-your-face way that shows the plays off for the pieces of art that they are. We believe one shouldn’t need an advanced degree to engage with art”.
This upcoming production, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, came about for a specific reason. Chris said, “We chose A Midsummer Night’s Dream because it is a fan favorite, one of the most recognizable Shakespeare plays, and thematically relevant to the times. We also feel so many people think they know the play, but don’t often delve into the darker side and life or death stakes that are evident in it, so we’re creating a production that may be a bit harsher than folks remember from high school English class. I think it adds to the fun and hope that people will be on the edge of their seats”.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream takes place in Athens, Greece. This location’s intrigue revolves around the upcoming wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta. Various subplots revolve around their friends and other lovers. Another part of Athens is the location where six actors are preparing a play for the wedding. Finally, the King and Queen of the fairies cause further domestic problems taking place in a forest inhabited by the fairies. Eventually several of the Athens residents find their way to the forest too. Premiering in 1605, the lively comedy is one of Shakespeare’s most enduring and popular works.
The Bishops’ House was chosen as one of the five venues to stage this masterful production. Chris explained, “The Bishops’ House provides an incredible atmosphere for a live performance, especially A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The garden in the evening, with the sun soaked foothills in the background feels magical, which perfectly complements Midsummer’s themes, and Amelia [Berg] has been marvelous to work with. We really couldn’t ask for a better venue for this production”.
Originally designed by architect James King and completed in 1889 in a Victorian motif, the house went through a major remodel just ten years later, with architect John Tourtelotte adding the stately turrets and other touches to bring it to a grand Queen Anne style. First located downtown at 2nd and Idaho streets, the home was moved in 1975 to the Old Penitentiary Road location as part of the Old Penitentiary Historical District. The home features the original hardwood floors, restored woodwork, elegant light fixtures, period wallpaper and other accouterments designed to bring the elegant three story home to its beautiful state.
The home, originally built by the Episcopal Archdiocese for the Bishop of the region (covering Southern Idaho, Nevada, Montana and portions of other Western states, served not only as a residence but also a place to entertain visiting clergy and prominent citizens of the area. Currently, it is available for special events such as charitable functions, weddings and other events. The beautiful Garden is a wonderful outside area for all typed of special events. Juno Van Ocker, Board Member of The Friends of the Bishops’ House and Volunteer, gave The Boise Beat an interesting tour of the home. She said, “We love history and we are very interested in preserving these older places that do have history in our area”. She noted that, “They brought their Episcopal Bishops out to establish their Church. Their area was all the way to Cody, Wyoming; on horseback and buggy if you can believe that! They were gone most of the time, out spreading the Gospel and such”.
Juno is excited about the upcoming A Midsummer Night’s Dream performances, saying, “We were real excited with the Bards when they came two summers ago. They were planning to do some productions with us last summer; and we had to say, ‘hold that thought!’. We can handle a lot of people outside. Some of our goals with this house is to open it up to our community, so they know they can have almost any kind of activity here to help us preserve this house”. She added, “We’ve got such a great Shakespeare Company here in Boise. These are just people that love Shakespeare. I think people enjoy seeing people have fun, doing what they like to do. This is a great place to do things like that!”.
While the Bishops’ House and the adjoining Gardens form a unique backdrop for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the Boise Bard Players have created a touring company to bring the play to several other Treasure Valley locations. Chris Canfield said, “BBP specializes in being mobile, and that means we have the ability to tour a production to different venues. Apart from The Bishops’ House, A Midsummer Night’s Dream will also play at the College of Idaho, Mad Swede Brewing Company, and Carl Miller Park in Mountain Home, each for one performance. By touring, we can reach a far wider audience and bring Shakespeare to people that otherwise would not have that opportunity”.
Originally opening in 1605, some of the racier elements have been toned down, especially after it because a much performed comedy at high schools and other locations. One interesting very different location is Mad Swede Brewing on Cole Road. There, an Adult 18+ audience will be entertained with a “dirty” performance of this Shakespearean comedy, complete with adult beverages to imbibe during the show. Students in high school English classes often joke about how “dirty” much of Shakespeare is; and this is a chance to see if it actually is true.
Fitting in with their desire to “spread the word” and entertain many who might not be able to travel to or afford the Boise performances, the performances in Caldwell and Mountain Home are free to the public. The events, sponsored in Caldwell by the College of Idaho; and in Mountain Home at Carl Miller Park by the Mountain Home Arts Council, will provide not only interesting locations but a more accessible performance geared towards not only delightful outdoor performances but a production intended to introduce those with little or no exposure the Bard’s plays.
For everyone, the Boise Bard Players are a wonderful way to start people going out and enjoying some classic plays. They are also looking towards radio and the 2022 Season. Chris Canfield said, “The Boise Bard Players looks forward to producing a full season again in 2022 after we premiere our online radio drama of Othello later this year”. As Shakespeare himself said in As You Like It,
All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts
The Boise Bard Players demonstrate that all the Treasure Valley is their stage. This is a wonderful event that is not to be missed.
The Boise Bard Players Present A Midsummer Night’s Dream
The Bishops’ House
2420 Old Penitentiary Road
Boise, ID 83712
August 7th/7:30pm, 8th/2:00pm, and 13th/7:30pm
Mad Swede Brewing
18+ Only
Boise, ID
August 14th/9:00pm
Carl Miller Park
Mountain Home, ID
August 15th/2:00pm
No Tickets needed–Free
College of Idaho, Cruzen-Murray Library
Caldwell, ID
August 6th/7:30 pm
No Tickets Needed—Free
The Bishops’ House website
The Boise Bard Players website
Thank you to Boise Bard Players for performance photographs. Bishops’ House photos by Ed Simon for The Boise Beat
