Midsummer for Haters is showing June 3-18, 2022! In this collaboration with Nemesis Theatre Company, Shakespeare’s beloved classic gets a new treatment by the people who can’t stand it, resulting in a kidnapped Amazon, mystified mortals, sadistic fairies, and mechanicals gone wild! Will any of them survive four nights in the magic forest?
We reached out to actor Haven Volpe to find out more about him and his experience working on this unique production!
What do you love about Shakespeare?
Shakespeare's timelessness is a true accomplishment that I feel we should all be giving more acknowledgment and credit to. Shakespeare wrote these plays 100s of years ago. At a time when human society and interactions, not to mention the English language in general were all wildly different than they are today. Just one blind glance at the language of one of his plays, with certain phonetical and syllabic pronunciations being completely different than they are today, not to mention the meaning and usage of some words and phrases changing or falling out of fashion completely in the last couple centuries…
Point is, you can tell these stories were all written a very very long time ago. And yet... The stories themselves, the characters and their interactions with one another, the situations we see these characters in are all so utterly relatable. Once you get past the outdated language you find a collection of stories that at their core reflect the human experience timelessly, in a way thats never going to be outdated. How many times since Shakespeare have creatives retold these same stories? The star crossed lovers? The succesful driven to madness by ambition? How many different human experiences did he somehow put into words in a way that most modern authors still struggle to?
To be or not to be, one of the most famous pieces of work of all time is about a young man struggling with depression and contemplating suicide. But soft what light through yonder window breaks, a true look inside the mind and soul of a teenager as he truly falls in love for the first time. And he didn't just write what he knew either. I mean, for a period of time when women weren't allowed to be on stage, he wrote some pretty fantastic and honest female characters. Lady M. Portia. Juliet. Goneril. (maybe not Bianca too much. We don't really talk about her) Point is, Shakespeare wrote about real human people having real human conflicts in real human situations. And he did all of it while rhyming. And it still holds up today!!! Pretty freaking cool.
What are 5 songs that you feel represent the mood of this show?
Well, my vision of the mood for this show would be something like…
Cotton Eye Joe
We Didnt Start the Fire
Happy Birthday (To You) *Pakistani version*
The Alphabet Song
Anything by Linkin Park
Brittney Spears' Toxic
How did you get into theatre?
My debut show was actually a Preschool production of Chicken Little in 'The Sky is Falling'. A true American Classic. I was originally cast as the Goosey Loosey the Loose Goose. However, when a tragic and mysterious accident befell the lead, I was forced to step in as the eponymous character. I’ve been hooked on the spotlight ever since.
Tell us about the experience of playing two different parts in two different Midsummers simultaneously.
This show is going to be utter nonsense. I'm playing Puck in both versions, but not the same Puck. Hell, not even the same script! If it wasn't for Melon Wedick's faultless direction and my own bottomless talent, I would be really worried. Concerned even. As it stands now, though. We got this. No problem... probably.
How do you feel about not knowing which version of the show you're doing until Egeus says his first line?
Oh, Lord. I swear if I didn't have until like scene 4 to prepare I don't think I could do it. Each show is going to be so much its own beast with wildly different tones and characterizations. I pity my castmates who are going to have to jump headfirst into whatever nonsense the first scene will be. At least I've got some time to get ready. Flex.
Biography
Haven Volpe is delighted to be making his Magnetic Theatre mainstage debut! First time y'all! You may have seen Haven onstage with other local companies such as Montford Park Players, Attic Salt, ACT, and Nemesis. But never here! First time! Magnetic Theatre Mainstage baby! Woohoo! He is very excited for this unique opportunity to tap into his intense and passionate hatred for this historic story. By shows end, he hopes the audience finds it in their hearts to despise this timeless fairytale almost as much as he does. A big thanks to all his family, friends, and partner in crime for their endless support. Enjoy the show, y'all!
Midsummer for Haters is showing June 3-18, 2022 at The Magnetic Theatre in Asheville, NC. Grab your tickets here: https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=134503