Bright future for Shakespeare Festival

Inclement weather conditions may have forced the final two Toowoomba performances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream indoors, but they have not dampened the spirits of USQ Shakespeare in the Park Festival organisers.

“Quite to the contrary,” said Rebecca Scollen, “we have a very bright outlook for the future of the Festival, with the signals of change already present this year.

“The inclusion of a three-day academic symposium to this year’s program brought together local, national and international scholars to share their knowledge and the introduction of a schools’ extravaganza, To Glee or Not to Glee reinvigorated the community engagement arm of the event.

“Also, for the first time we welcomed members of USQ Theatre Alumni Inc to the cast of our featured play; seven professional actors who appeared alongside our current final-year actors.

“Their inclusion in 2011 is the start of a continued collaboration with our Alumni in future Festivals and provides an important mentoring program between the professional and undergraduate actors.”

With the Toowoomba and Hervey Bay seasons now finished, Festival organisers have proudly handed over the reins to USQ Theatre Alumni to present A Midsummer Night’s Dream to a new audience at Roma Street Parkland in Brisbane (18 November-4 December).

“The Festival is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the skills and talents of our students and staff, and it has also become one of the key ways the University positively engages with the regions in which it resides and services.

“Over the next decade, we plan to grow the event; extending its program, reach and opportunities.

“With this in mind, in 2012, the Festival will make a major move – onto the University campus – to take advantage of a range of outdoor and indoor performance spaces – the feature, of course being our magnificent mainstage on the front oval.

“We will continue our commitment to teaching and learning and to community engagement, while furthering our desire to achieve success in research, and collaboration with USQ Alumni, universities and Shakespearean practitioners from around the globe.

“It is our intention to lift this regional event to international status over the next decade.”