The Saint Mary’s College english and humanistic studies departments have teamed up to arrange their annual trip to a Chicago Shakespeare performance at Navy Pier.
Students and faculty were able to visit Chicago on Saturday to see a matinee performance of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
The trip is open to a variety of majors and the only requirement is that the students be interested in Shakespeare.
Chicago Shakespeare normally performs at Navy Pier in downtown Chicago, however, they also give performances to schools in the area and host a wide variety of educational programs.
According to the company’s website, there are currently two plays being performed: “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Us/Them.” The company also does a program called Abridged Shakespeare, which cuts down the traditional plays to a shorter length for families or younger school groups.
Students and faculty from Saint Mary’s carpooled to Chicago to see the company perform.
In past years, a bus was provided for students who wished to make the trip but this year, it was up to students and faculty to find transportation. However, the students who decided to go made it work.
Senior biology major Jordan Myers has been on the trip before and said she greatly enjoyed it in the past. Myers said in an email that the decision not to rent a bus did not impact her enjoyment of the trip as a whole.
“We were able to drive there with our professors, then had a quick lunch on Navy Pier,” Myers said. “We had some time on the pier, then we saw the play, which was fantastic.”
Myers and other students were able to meet and take photos with the actors and actresses after the play. They also learned about what it takes to perform Shakespeare, she said.
“I gained a fuller picture of what Shakespeare might have had in mind in his time,” Myers said. “And, we learned about the different ways to portray characters and the stage.”
After the trip, students were able to see the city lights at night from Navy Pier and have a quick dinner before returning to Saint Mary’s.
Myers said the trip would be beneficial to younger students looking to learn about Shakespeare and English in general.
“Shakespeare is all about his plays,” she said. “Why study his works at all if you don't get to see any?”
