Today on the Weekly podcast, we talk to Shauna Meador of Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre. We discuss the 2022 Summer season.
SHOW NOTES
The 2022 Shakespeare Theatre Season
https://conwayscene.com/arkansas-shakespeare-theatre-returns-for-summer-2022/
Shauna Meador
https://uca.edu/ftcw/facultystaff/shauna-meador/
History of Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre
Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre:
Music by Joystick – https://www.joystock.org
Transcript
The transcript is generated automatically and may contain inconsistencies.
Transcript
Todd Jones
Hey everyone, welcome to the weekly by Conway scene.
Todd Jones
I am your host, Todd Jones and today I have Shannon Meter from University of Central Arkansas.
Todd Jones
She is a professor and I guess the head honcho at Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre.
Todd Jones
Would you? Tell us a little bit more about yourself, Shauna.
Shauna Meador
Yeah, I’m a Conway, Conway natives, UM, and I’m actually the executive director of the Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre and Chair of the Department of Film, Theater and Creative Writing.
Shauna Meador
But my family has lived here since about 1973, so I’ve seen Conway grow quite a bit. Went to Conway High School. I went to Saint Joe.
Shauna Meador
For a for a little while.
Shauna Meador
So yeah, I’ve just been around here for quite a for quite a while, and I’ve been with the Shakespeare festival from the very, very very beginning, and I’m I’m super excited to be at the helm now.
Todd Jones
What is your role entail at Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre?
Shauna Meador
Well, right now, Chief Cook and bottle washer, I think is what it is.
Shauna Meador
I’m kind of doing everything, so yeah, I mean because the pandemic?
Shauna Meador
Uhm, we’ve you know, we’ve been on a hiatus for a couple of years and.
Shauna Meador
Then our Artistic director left around the pandemic.
Shauna Meador
She and her husband moved to Saint Louis, so it’s really been kind of gearing it all back up.
Shauna Meador
I hired the director.
Shauna Meador
I started this working with Fayetteville on the collaboration that we’re doing this year.
Shauna Meador
You know publicity, overseeing all the publicity, overseeing all of the housing and transportation?
Shauna Meador
And it’s really just kind of everything right now, not directing the show.
Shauna Meador
And I didn’t cast the shows, but pretty much.
Shauna Meador
Everything else I’ve had my hand in.
Todd Jones
Prior to being executive director, what was your role?
Shauna Meador
With the Shakespeare festival.
Todd Jones
Yes, correct.
Shauna Meador
Uhm, for years I was as faculty costume faculty at UCA.
Shauna Meador
I was, we we call them we it had different names over the years, but the costume production coordinator is pretty much what it was.
Shauna Meador
So I hired all the costume ING staff and at the very beginning I’ve been on both of the the.
Shauna Meador
Search committees for both the artistic directors so.
Todd Jones
And you took.
Todd Jones
Over in 2021.22.
Shauna Meador
Well, yeah, I guess I kind of took over. Rebecca left in 2020, so I would have taken over.
Shauna Meador
Essentially, right after that.
Todd Jones
Right, OK, and so the plan all alone was a restart once everything died down and we could.
Todd Jones
Yeah, that’s good to know ’cause you know some people.
Todd Jones
Of course, a lot of business. Just shut down for good and uh.
Todd Jones
I I did a little spelunking because it was like when did this thing start?
Todd Jones
So, I dipped into.
Todd Jones
I think the Arkansas Encyclopedia or whatever it’s called, and it said it started on December 1st, 2006. Can you take us back to that? And since you were there from the.
Todd Jones
Beginning maybe to tell us.
Todd Jones
A little bit about.
Shauna Meador
Yeah, well we started you see a theater used to do a collaboration with Community arts and the music department and we did a summer production that sort of fizzled out, probably in about 2006 for a variety of reasons and.
Shauna Meador
Our Dean at the time Roland Potter, was really interested in starting something in the summer, and so he came to us and was really interested in this idea of a summer theater we brought in a consultant.
Shauna Meador
From the Oklahoma Shakespeare Festival, we talked to her for quite a bit.
Shauna Meador
I have worked at the couple I have worked at the Texas Shakespeare Festival and the Illinois Shakespeare Festival so.
Shauna Meador
We just brought all of that together and then the next step was really hiring somebody to to lead it, which we did.
Shauna Meador
A search for artistic director and we hired Matt Kearney. The search was in the let’s see the spring of 2006.
Shauna Meador
And I think he came in in December of 2006, so that’s when the whole thing got off the ground.
And then we.
Shauna Meador
Did we had a season with three shows in the summer of 2007 which was just incredible.
Shauna Meador
And that that that got put together so quickly.
Shauna Meador
So then we we so we did.
Shauna Meador
22 Shayera Shakespeare, a musical man of La Mancha.
Shauna Meador
The UM Midsummer Night’s Dream and then a show called the.
Shauna Meador
The oh gosh, the condensed version of Shakespeare can’t remember it’s called.
Shauna Meador
Shakespeare abridged so.
Shauna Meador
Yeah, and then it just kept going on from there we added a touring show and we added a children company.
Shauna Meador
And it just kept building and building.
Shauna Meador
So yeah, we’ve been quite a while.
Todd Jones
Sorry this year you’re doing.
Todd Jones
Much about nothing is that.
Shauna Meador
Not to do about nothing.
Todd Jones
I just knew about nothing.
Todd Jones
Do you normally do just one show and you said you did three the first year in years Pass?
Todd Jones
I can’t remember if you.
Shauna Meador
Normally done a comedy that we did outside and a tragedy one of the Shakespearean tragedies that we did at Reynolds Performance Hall and a musical.
Shauna Meador
And then what they called the family friendly Shakespeare that went on tour.
Shauna Meador
This year we are only doing the the comedy and we’re doing an inside.
Shauna Meador
We were going to do it outside but there’s going to be a lot of renovations on the building that we were that we’ve performed in front.
Shauna Meador
Of and so we just decided that that was not the best place, but we’re also performing it, so we’re performing.
Shauna Meador
It in a.
Shauna Meador
Completely different place at the Bridges Larson theater in Snow Fine Arts.
Shauna Meador
And then we’re also performing at the Global Theater in Fayetteville.
Todd Jones
Yeah, so you you answered all my questions if there would be outdoor performances this year and I know you’ve done it at Hendrix as well so but there’s not going to be an outdoor this year.
Shauna Meador
No, you know it’s been really the last few years we had to cancel so many performances because of the weather.
Shauna Meador
It’s 100 and some odd degrees. The mosquitoes and Arkansas as big as your head up and you know, really, we’re going to be moving into this beautiful brand new building. The Wingate Center for the Flighting performing Arts next year and so.
Shauna Meador
We’re really going to harness the the energy that comes with that and that’s you know?
Shauna Meador
So it’s our transition from what we were into moving into that new facility.
Todd Jones
That facility Wingate.
Todd Jones
I’m thinking there’s something in Hendricks called Wingate.
Todd Jones
But is this at University of Central Arkansas?
Shauna Meador
Yeah, yes, that is at the that’s at UCA, it’s On the corner of Donaghey and Bruce.
Todd Jones
Yeah, that’s the big one.
Todd Jones
They’re working on right now.
Todd Jones
There’s a lot of construction there.
Shauna Meador
Wingate is given a lot of money across the state.
Shauna Meador
Umsu there was.
Shauna Meador
There’s a I know there’s a space at ualr that was just built that they donate money to.
Shauna Meador
They may have given money to Hendrix as well.
Todd Jones
They have a uh, Art Museum or I believe it’s called Wingate, but I could be wrong and if I am wrong I apologize ’cause I know we have put some of their events on the calendar.
Todd Jones
Yeah, so, and I believe we have all your events in the Conway area next, I know you’re going to, uh, Fayetteville for a show I didn’t put that one on there, but I I think I’ve put all the others on on the the Conway Scene calendar.
Todd Jones
And so yeah, and they are all indoor so there should be.
Todd Jones
Relatively comfortable, right?
Todd Jones
And then so I dropped Bastion Thompson. They’d be performing, and I’m like, oh, I wouldn’t mind watching it, but it’s like 180 degrees outside.
Shauna Meador
I know, I know, I.
Todd Jones
And you know, I tend to I I wouldn’t be.
Todd Jones
Good in a social.
Todd Jones
Setting when it’s that hot.
Todd Jones
So yeah, tell us about the the performance hall you’re working in this time it’s.
Todd Jones
It’s not rentals that it’s a smaller one, but can you tell us a little bit about that facility?
Shauna Meador
Chris Larson Theater was it’s part of the Snow Fine Arts building that was built in I believe 1965 and it originally housed music, theater, and art.
Shauna Meador
Then sometime in the 90s aren’t moved over to she still, so it’s just music and theater and so and and we are.
Shauna Meador
We are busting at the seams, particularly music.
Shauna Meador
Which was, you know why they started the Wingate, the Wingate Center, so this building will be going under some renovations next year.
Shauna Meador
After we get into the the new space.
Shauna Meador
So yeah, we’re on the 2nd floor.
Shauna Meador
Music is on the 3rd and 1st floor and we just have a Bank of offices.
Shauna Meador
Uhm, and classrooms down the hallway and then our big roughly 300 seat.
Todd Jones
Proscenium theatre, if I remember right. Tickets are about $20.
Todd Jones
Is that correct?
Shauna Meador
Yes.
Todd Jones
That’s pretty reasonable.
Shauna Meador
It is, it is.
Shauna Meador
It’s less than we charged in the past, but you know, it’s kind of we’re really just trying to get people to.
Shauna Meador
Come back.
Todd Jones
Right?
Shauna Meador
And participate in this.
Shauna Meador
And it’s a, you know, kind of a weird location.
Shauna Meador
Parking is going to be.
Shauna Meador
We’re going to work on that trying to get some parking closer to the building and some signage out so that it’s easy for people to find it.
Todd Jones
And the first performance is in mid late June, something like that.
Shauna Meador
In 23rd.
Todd Jones
That’s what I was thinking.
Todd Jones
So, you have time.
Todd Jones
Now, do they purchase tickets ahead of time or do they?
Todd Jones
Can you show up and purchase ticket or?
Shauna Meador
You can, you can probably do both. It’s probably best to purchase the tickets online. You can go to arcshakes.com and we’ve got 2 links there.
Shauna Meador
There’s one for Fayetteville tickets and one for Conway tickets.
Shauna Meador
Make sure if you’re getting income while you get the purple button.
Yeah, yeah.
Shauna Meador
So yes, so you can get.
Shauna Meador
You can get your tickets through that.
Shauna Meador
There you would probably be able to buy tickets.
Shauna Meador
Some tickets at the door, but it’s probably best to.
Shauna Meador
Buy them ahead of time.
Todd Jones
If someone is listening this from Northwest Arkansas and I may put that out in the.
Todd Jones
In the Twittersphere, ’cause I have a lot Of friends on Twitter’s of many are from that area, and they’re interested in seeing the performance at Fayetteville. When is that and how? You know you can buy that on arcshakes.com as well?
Shauna Meador
Yes, it’s going to be performing there. June 1617 and 18 and we’ll open the show in Fayetteville ’cause they’re building the scenery and costumes up there, so we’ll go up there.
Todd Jones
Shauna Meador
We’ve been rehearsing it here and we’re all going to go up there and we’ll perform it.
Shauna Meador
We’ll open it there, and then we’ll.
Shauna Meador
Bring it back down.
Shauna Meador
And set it up here in our.
Shauna Meador
Theater and performing here.
Todd Jones
And what is the facility that you are doing in Fayetteville?
Shauna Meador
It’s the Global campus theater.
It’s kind of, It’s on the I think it’s kind of on the square down there and it’s a a smaller thrust space that they had newly renovated just a few years ago.
Shauna Meador
It’s a really wonderful space.
Todd Jones
OK, so all my Northwest Arkansas friends that.
Todd Jones
All you big Razorback fans Arkansas Shakespeare theater is coming to Fayetteville in just a couple weeks.
Todd Jones
So, you want to get your tickets?
Todd Jones
Let’s talk about some of the performers.
Todd Jones
A few years ago I was hanging out at Blue Sail Coffee, and in line in front or behind. This young man from North Carolina and he was here for the summer working with the Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre so.
Shauna Meador
Todd Jones
I know people. Come from various parts of the world to perform.
Todd Jones
Can you talk a little bit about those performers?
Shauna Meador
Well, most of well, we have performers from all over the place.
Shauna Meador
Right now, they’re just mainly. They’re kind of.
Shauna Meador
Home base right now is Fayetteville.
Shauna Meador
You know Shakespeare had an apprentice program in his in his company and so combined with the fact that also most of your kind of professional theaters that are connected to a university are also connected to programs with the graduate program.
Shauna Meador
Because you have these graduate actors that you can bring in.
Shauna Meador
And they.
Shauna Meador
You have a lot of talent from all over the place, but they kind of make their home base at this.
Shauna Meador
This connection between the University and the professional.
Shauna Meador
Theater well, Conway doesn’t have a graduate program, and but the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.
Shauna Meador
They have a wonderful graduate program
Shauna Meador
So, we decided to partner with them this year and since we were just doing 1 show and again we were.
Todd Jones
Wow, smart.
Shauna Meador
Uh, our staffing has been.
Shauna Meador
We’ve been, you know, re upping our staffing and kind of training the the pandemic hit is pretty hard.
Shauna Meador
We have some retirements.
Shauna Meador
We had some people leave.
Shauna Meador
We had some people leave because of like childcare.
Shauna Meador
And just moving elsewhere with their family.
Shauna Meador
So, this was kind of an easy way for us to segue so.
Shauna Meador
But all of the people who are in the company are, you know, they’re either they’re either from Arkansas, or you know from well.
Shauna Meador
Obviously they’re either from Arkansas or somewhere else.
Todd Jones
Well, there there’s students at University, Arkansas in the graduate program, so they could be really from anywhere in the country.
Shauna Meador
Yes, yes, and then we do have a gentleman who came in Bill Rogers came in from Colorado to work with us and Scott Russell moved Reese.
Shauna Meador
Moved back to Fayetteville, but he’s been living in Indiana so people from all over.
Todd Jones
Yeah, I believe the press release that you guys sent out had all the actors and and so we have that listed because we posted the press release, and you can read those names there.
Todd Jones
Now I’m thinking in the past you had some special actors locally.
Todd Jones
Come to special performances I I want to say that maybe a coach or somebody had performed and maybe I’m mistaken about that, but I’m thinking Coach Brown participated one year.
Todd Jones
Is that correct?
Shauna Meador
You know, I don’t recall.
Todd Jones
Shauna Meador
We have had a lot of kind of Waukon performers that have come on.
Shauna Meador
I know Gilbert Baker who are on our stage and there have been others.
Todd Jones
Todd Jones
Doctor Davis mabye
Shauna Meador
Probably yes, and I think that Brad Lacey was supposed to be in the last season that we did.
Shauna Meador
That got closed down because of Covid.
Shauna Meador
So we have had that in the past and hoped to bring that back, but that will probably be coming back in our, you know, next year, yes.
Todd Jones
I could just see going up to Fayetteville and maybe Coach Musselman or his wife wanting to get involved somehow, and I think Coach Musselman could pull it off.
Shauna Meador
Never know what’s going to happen.
Shauna Meador
It could be.
Shauna Meador
It could be a lot of fun, yes.
Todd Jones
When I was on the website this morning and I was looking through, I did notice.
Todd Jones
This is a really well defined section for donating and I imagine a production like this takes you know funds and resources to pull off.
Todd Jones
So, can you talk about the importance of supporting Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre?
Todd Jones
And obviously it’s not just a Conway thing ’cause you do work with Fayetteville University, Arkansas.
Todd Jones
So, it benefits more than just Arkham.
Shauna Meador
Right, it it is very expensive to produce theater and so the I mean we don’t. We don’t make our money back on ticket sales.
Shauna Meador
No, no theater company does, so the donations that we see receive are very, very important and very very much a huge part of the of us.
Shauna Meador
Continuing on.
Shauna Meador
The money that we’re we’re doing this season this year off of the money that was raised in 2020 for the 2020 season.
Shauna Meador
So we’re very thankful for those for those donors who gave at that point, and then money that was leftover from the university at that time, so.
Shauna Meador
Yeah, that’s a really important part of that.
Shauna Meador
We are in the process of hiring someone to be a fundraiser for the university who will also be kind of our head of Community, engagements, marketing and publicity.
Shauna Meador
And we’re not releasing that.
Shauna Meador
The results of that search yet, but that’ll be very shortly forthcoming, yes?
Todd Jones
Yeah so.
Todd Jones
What is the impact?
Todd Jones
Of Arkansas Shakespeare theatre.
Todd Jones
Not just for the students who participate, but the community, maybe even kids who watch it.
Todd Jones
In the summertime.
Shauna Meador
I think that the impact.
Shauna Meador
Of the arts.
Shauna Meador
On particularly on children, is really.
Shauna Meador
It’s very great. It’s interesting. I was thinking about it this morning. The very first play that I ever saw was in snow. Fine Arts in 1973 and I remember seeing. I think it was **** Whittington pet cat.
Shauna Meador
And so the theater had only been open for about 8 years, and that I don’t remember the story.
Shauna Meador
But I remember the magic of sitting in that seat being 8 years old, and I remember those the bright colors and the set and the people on stage.
Shauna Meador
And it just being a really, really magical moment for me as a child.
Shauna Meador
And I’m not eight years old anymore, but that still really really sticks with me.
Todd Jones
Whether you go into it or not, you remember it and so.
Todd Jones
So, you know.
Todd Jones
Little town I grew up in had Lyon College, Batesville
Todd Jones
But we had we had a, uh, a group of students who performed a play and they would bus us all down to the Intermediate School auditorium.
Todd Jones
And it was.
Todd Jones
It was kind of cool ’cause you got two or three periods.
Todd Jones
Out right, but then you watch.
Todd Jones
It and when I’m in high school.
Todd Jones
When you’re kid, you’re just watching it, right?
Todd Jones
OK, here’s these students doing this, but.
Todd Jones
When you’re in high school when I’m in.
Todd Jones
High school I’m.
Todd Jones
Watching people that I’m sitting in class with.
Todd Jones
Do stuff on stage.
Todd Jones
That they don’t do regularly every day.
Todd Jones
And you’re like amazed.
Todd Jones
First of all, that they’re doing this.
Todd Jones
But you know, yeah, I think and.
Todd Jones
And we had some of the same conversation last week with the ladies from.
Todd Jones
Reynolds performance hall
Todd Jones
The impact on kids you know.
Todd Jones
Again, whether you choose.
Todd Jones
To have a profession in that or not and I know that they get all support as you as you do just from people who enjoy the arts.
Shauna Meador
But you know it’s beneficial whether you, whether you decide to make a career out of it or not.
Shauna Meador
I mean people who do theater often feel more comfortable giving presentations, communicating with others, that interpersonal connection that you have.
Shauna Meador
It’s really, really, really important, and theater helps you with that it.
Shauna Meador
Helps to create a sense of empathy.
Shauna Meador
Uhm, it’s just you know, it’s just a lot of fun to sit in there with all of these other people.
Shauna Meador
Yeah, you can sit at home and watch TV.
Shauna Meador
But there’s something about sitting in a live audience with a bunch of other people who are experiencing the same thing as you.
Shauna Meador
Do I mean it’s, you know, it’s just it’s good for your soul.
Todd Jones
Agree with.
Todd Jones
Yes, I’ve heard other people talk about the benefits of participating at a young age and one person I know particularly who has talked about his Christina, Me knows who participated in dance.
Todd Jones
And you know performance is at.
Todd Jones
Young age and.
Todd Jones
The confidence he gave her which you know, has parlayed into a career.
Todd Jones
Around public relations and news media.
Todd Jones
I, I think it does give you a lot of you know and we have.
Todd Jones
We have the Red Curtain Theatre in town.
Todd Jones
It is doing the same thing for children, so it’s fun to watch and they grow in confidence.
Todd Jones
I know it did a lot for my niece as well when she was with the Blackbird Academy.
Todd Jones
She did some dance there so.
Shauna Meador
Right, right?
Shauna Meador
And that you know that sense of imagination.
Shauna Meador
I mean, imagination is what fuels everything we do.
Shauna Meador
I mean it fuels our economy, it and it fuels our soul.
Shauna Meador
And I, and I think theater does a really great job.
Shauna Meador
I mean all the arts do.
Shauna Meador
But you know, theater is just different, more kind of hands on.
Todd Jones
One thing about theater that I’ve noticed, and, uh, a good friend of mine is a music teacher at choir teacher at the Comedy High School and they do a production usually every spring and it incorporates everything.
Todd Jones
So, it’s not just the kids who sing, they’re also acting.
Todd Jones
There’s kids in the background doing the.
Todd Jones
The arts part of the like the.
Todd Jones
Set, you know?
Todd Jones
So it’s it engages about every aspect of art.
Todd Jones
In in one thing and it just all comes together in that one production.
Shauna Meador
Right, right?
Shauna Meador
And yeah, and that’s you know we’re trying to do a lot of that in this production too.
Shauna Meador
I mean it’s not got little kids in it, but we’ve original music is being composed for this.
Shauna Meador
The assistant director is also doing choreography for it.
Shauna Meador
It’s just it’s really exciting and.
Shauna Meador
We’re, you know.
Shauna Meador
You mentioned kids looking forward to bringing.
Shauna Meador
In bringing back our Groundlings company, hopefully next year as well to get those the children in the.
Shauna Meador
Community involved in it.
Todd Jones
Yeah, so things are starting to somewhat become normal, and when Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre is opening back up, it’s a good time so.
Shauna Meador
Yes yes yes.
Todd Jones
We’re happy for that.
Todd Jones
Thank you for coming on.
Todd Jones
It’s just you know, for people listening and they say hey I want to go watch one of the plays either in Conway or in Fayetteville.
Todd Jones
Can you again tell us where they can learn more about Arkansas Shakespeare theater?
Shauna Meador
Just go to arcshakes.com.
Shauna Meador
ARKS, hakes.com
Shauna Meador
And then right on the first page there’s a couple of buttons to come to Click to get tickets.
Shauna Meador
You can also follow us on Instagram or on Instagram and Facebook arc shakes.
Shauna Meador
We’ve been we’re sort of profiling a lot of the people on our in our company.
Shauna Meador
On those two things, so you can kind of get to know the company a little bit.
Shauna Meador
Better, we’re just really excited about this season and I’m so excited to be bringing this back to the community.
Shauna Meador
It’s just, it’s just really.
Todd Jones
Wonderful, I think entertainment in the various avenues has been the thing that has allowed us to kind of endure the last couple of years, so I’m.
Right?
Todd Jones
Thankful and I’ve.
Todd Jones
Watched a lot of musicians do live streaming performances because we were all stuck at home, right?
Todd Jones
And I saw many people, in fact, Norah Jones was doing it on the regular for a while, and I would tune into that.
Shauna Meador
Right?
Todd Jones
And, you know, is so thankful that we can have it in person again.
Shauna Meador
I agree, I agree.
Todd is a copywriter, content strategist, digital marketer and the Publisher for Conway Scene. He enjoys coffee from the local coffee shops, learning the stories of new friends, pro wrestling, and dirt track racing.