A message from Tristan Cunningham:
I have had the honor and joy of making six shows with Cal Shakes and it will be forever be my favorite theatre – the theatre that gave me a chance.
I first saw A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Cal Shakes (dir. Aaron Posner) in 2009. Shakespeare’s moon under a real moon just hits an audience differently. That night I said to myself, “I will work at this theatre, I don’t care if it’s to mop the floors or take out the trash.”
I got my own chance to be on that very stage four years later in 2013, playing Hermia in – yes, A Midsummer Night’s Dream! (dir. Shana Cooper) at Cal Shakes. In this and every subsequent production, we actors and designers got the chance to push the boundaries of art to tell ancient stories in new ways; and some of these productions have remained amongst the most creative and heartfelt that I’ve ever been part of. (A Winter’s Tale, dir. Patricia McGregor, 2014, stands out for me).
We simply can’t lose our beloved Bay Area theatre under the stars. I’ve seen so many actors shine on this stage, and, as part of the audience, I’ve experienced Shakespeare in ways I could never have imagined. But it’s not just the stage: it’s the grove talks, the student matinees, the classes and workshops, and everything Cal Shakes does to support and inspire the next generation of artists. I want to bring my daughter, Jahleena Joy Cunningham, to Cal Shakes. I want to curl up with her under the fluffy green Cal Shakes blanket, sipping hot chocolate as we’re invited into – transported into – new worlds of being and feeling.
– Tristan Cunningham
