more audience reactions

Ian Buckley:
"What was interesting to me was how cinematic the performance was. I enjoyed seeing people in perspective, both up close and far away and would have loved to seen more of that. I have seen nine productions of Midsummer, and this one by far stood above the others."



Carl Bellenas: Friends of Maple Grove Historian:
"I wanted to let you know what a delightful evening we all had last night. I think the hardest audience to win over are the young. I can certainly tell you that when I took Derek, Jean and Little Philippe home they were all talking about what a wonderful evening they had. I think it is magnificent that they were introduced to Shakespeare in this brilliant way. Especially for nine year old Philippe, for this was his first exposure. Derek and Jean had read it recently in High School so were familiar with it. What a wonderful first impression.

As I mentioned to Elizabeth, as cemetery historian, it seems I have more friends who are dead than alive and some of them have been gone over a hundred years. Have to admit after working there for about twenty years I have never had a spiritual encounter or have seen any type of apparition but I had this incredible feeling that you did not have an audience of 25 or so but an audience of 80,000 who are cared for at Maple Grove. They in their way embraced you and your work and there was a wonderful spell cast over the evening and I could feel the appreciation of thousands who were remembered and entertained last night."



Megan Lee: (Actress Hermia)
"One of my managers came to see the show, and she summed it up nicely for me-- she said that seeing Midsummer in this new way really thrilled her with the creativity of the project. She also said that seeing a play that is so familiar and beloved in a place that primarily belongs to the dead was refreshing because then, Shakespeare had never seemed so alive for her."