Join Door Shakespeare for “Shake it Up Saturday,” a casual pre-show chat and activity designed to introduce patrons of all ages to William Shakespeare and Henry V. Door Shakespeare’s Managing Director, Amy Ensign, reviews the characters of the play and takes a look at the plot in order to have a better understanding of the story and enhance the theatrical experience. Designed with families in mind, “Shake it Up Saturday” includes activities to help get the wiggles out before the show begins.
Russ Bickerstaff wrote of his “Shake it Up Saturday” experience on his blog, The Small Stage:
“Theatre is universal. If it’s done well, there’s no reason that it shouldn’t be accessible on some level to everybody.
Door Shakespeare does a remarkably good job of drawing in the tiniest theatergoers with a Saturday pre-show program called ‘Shake It Up Saturday.’ The intimate outdoor theatre has 5:00 p.m. Saturday performances of Henry V. An early 5pm show is great for families.
Door Shakespeare Managing Director Amy Ensign does an admirable job of bringing the complexities of Henry V to life. The kids played with slips of paper assembling an ordered synopsis and addressed various aspects of the play. My daughters were particularly amused at the idea of France sending a king of England a chest full of tennis balls to mock him.
The specifics of the outdoor production were also of interest. It is explained to the kids that there are two opposing teams in the play: one in red and one in blue. Actors play counterparts on both teams based on cleverly simple costuming. The basics of this are brought to the kids via props and costuming. They take turns choosing items, creating characters and improvising interactions between them.
The lessons from the pre-show workshop are brought into the theatre. Henry Vdirector, (Matt) Daniels, has chosen to allow aspects of the backstage atmosphere to be visible onstage in the narration-heavy spirit of Shakespeare’s script. This semi-visible backstage is a great introduction for the younger theatergoers. My oldest daughter was given a checklist of classic lines from the play to listen for. The connection between script and spoken word seemed particularly interesting to her.
Credit a talented Amy Ensign for drawing out some of that interest with an ambitious, little class, for ambitious, little theatergoers prior to the show every Saturday.”
“Shake it Up Saturday” (July 13, 20, 27, and August 3, 10, and 17 at 3:15 PM) is FREE and open to the public. Because “Shake it Up Saturday” is a popular program, registration is required. Please call 920-839-1500 or email info@doorshakepseare.com to register.
“Shake it Up Saturday” is sponsored by Alice and Bob Chrismer.
Door Shakespeare “Wine Nights” Continue Through August 1. Reserve your place at the table and dine in the beautiful Garden at Bjorklunden!
Join us at 6:15pm and enjoy a pre-show tasting of wines from area wineries and small plates prepared by Thyme Cuisine and Catering. Take in the beautiful scenery of the Garden, mingle with patrons and cast members, and enjoy dessert and coffee during intermission.
This year’s “Wine Nights” are July 24, before the performance of The Merry Wives of Windsor, and July 18 and August 1, before the performances of Henry V.
Thyme Catering is known for creating custom farm-to-table based menus including favorites such as mini wellingtons, baked brie en croute, and Door County whitefish cakes. The small plate offerings are a Door Shakespeare tradition.
Reserve your space by calling 920-839-1500 or order online at www.doorshakespeare.com. Tickets to “Wine Night” are $35, which does not include the price of admission for the performance.
ALL CONTENT © 2025 BY DOOR GUIDE PUBLISHING
