- Hello everybody, I'm Satori Shakoor.

Welcome to "Detroit Performs: Live From Marygrove," where Detroit's talented artists take the stage and share insights into their performances.

This episode is curated by Shakespeare in Detroit.

Enjoy as they present to us classic works on "Detroit Performs: Live From Marygrove."

- [Narrator] Funding for Detroit performs is provided by the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation, Gregory Haynes and Richard Sonenklar, The Kresge Foundation, the A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Foundation, the Michigan Arts and Culture Council, the National Endowment for the Arts.

And by contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you.

Thank you.

(upbeat music) (logo whooshes) - Welcome to "Detroit Performs: Live From Marygrove."

It's my pleasure to be sitting here with Sam White, founder of Shakespeare in Detroit.

Hi Sam.

- Hi Satori.

- You have come a long way.

- (laughs) Thank you, Satori.

- How was a Shakespeare in Detroit born?

- Shakespeare in Detroit was born technically on Seven Mile because that's where I was introduced to Shakespeare by way of my mother, who wouldn't allow me to listen to rap music.

And so she caught me one day listening to rap music and the punishment was to read "The Complete Works," which is all of Shakespeare's plays, 37 plays in his cannon.

And at first, 'cause I was eight years old, I hated it but over time began to love it.

And so, you know, fast forward a few years and I found that when I would, this was about 10 years ago, would go to theater companies, I wouldn't often see people who looked like me in classical roles, and if they were, they were in smaller roles.

So I dared, I had the audacity to change that, and almost 10 years ago we founded, myself and I, and I also include all the actors who were a part of that movement, that pioneering work, Shakespeare in Detroit at Grand Circus Park, which is amazing.

- Yes, yes.

So tell us how the youth program came into being.

I know you had the professional company and you worked with them for a number of years.

And then you said what to yourself?

- Well, again, filling that void and sort of being able to sort of go, "Okay this is something that needs to be done.

Let's check this off, so we can move forward with the organization."

So we knew in order to really compliment the work that we were doing in the professional space, we needed to have a youth program.

So that 10 years from now or 20 years from now, Shakespeare In Detroit still has artists and it still has an audience because audiences and artists have to be cultivated.

And so that's what our youth program Shakespeare STEAM does.

- Okay, and can you tell us a little bit about the performances that we're going to see or have seen?

- Yes, well, (chuckles) there's a lot of Shakespeare, a lot of people do Shakespeare but not like Shakespeare in Detroit.

Shakespeare in Detroit is just as much Detroit as it is Shakespeare.

And so most of the folks that you see on our stages are from Detroit Proper.

Which is really exciting because that means that we are planting seeds and giving back in our own community.

In this summer we actually are doing that in an even bigger way through a festival that we're doing with our youth and our adult actors.

- Okay, and when are these performances gonna happen?

- Yes, August 11th, 12th and 13th, and then the 18th 19th and 20th at Campus Martius, right in the center of Detroit.

It'll be really loud.

Techno music will be blasting and blaring, so people will be able to find us.

Two o'clock for Macbeth with the kids and then 7:30 with the adults.

- Thank you, Sam.

And without further ado, let's head to the stage to see a performance from "A Midsummer Night's Dream," from Shakespeare in Detroit.

♪ He rocks in the tree tops all day long ♪ ♪ Hopping and a-bopping and a-singing his song ♪ ♪ All the little birds on Jaybird Street ♪ ♪ Love to hear the robin go tweet tweet tweet ♪ ♪ Rocking robin ♪ Tweet tweet tweet ♪ Rocking robin ♪ Tweet, tweedle-lee-dee ♪ Blow rocking robin ♪ 'Cause we're really gonna rock tonight ♪ ♪ Tweet, tweedle-lee-dee ♪ Every little swallow, every chick-a-dee ♪ ♪ Every little bird in the tall oak tree ♪ ♪ The wise old owl, the big black crow ♪ ♪ Flapping their wings singing go bird go ♪ ♪ Rocking robin ♪ Tweet tweet tweet ♪ Rocking robin ♪ Tweet, tweedle-lee-dee ♪ Blow rocking robin ♪ 'Cause we're really gonna rock tonight ♪ ♪ Tweet, tweet, tweedle-lee-dee ♪ ♪ Blow ♪ Tweet, tweedle-lee-dee ♪ Tweet, tweedle-lee-dee ♪ Tweet tweet tweet tweet ♪ Tweet, tweedle-lee-dee ♪ Tweet, tweet, tweedle-lee-dee ♪ ♪ A pretty little raven at the bird-band stand ♪ ♪ Taught him how to do the bop, it was grand ♪ ♪ They started going steady and bless my soul ♪ ♪ He out-bopped the buzzard and the oriole ♪ ♪ He rocks in the tree top all day long ♪ ♪ Hopping and a-bopping and a-singing his song ♪ - Happy be Theseus, our renowned duke.

- Thanks, good Egeus, what's the news with thee?

- Full of vexation come I, with complaint, against my daughter Hermia.

Stand forth, Demetrius.

My noble lord, this man hath my consent to marry her.

Stand forth, Lysander.

My gracious duke, this man hath bewitched the heart soul of my child.

With cunning hast thou filched my daughter's heart, turned her obedience, which is due to me, to stubborn harshness.

And, my gracious duke, be it so she will not here before your grace, consent to marry with Demetrius.

- What say you, Hermia?

Demetrius is a worthy gentleman.

- So is Lysander.

- In himself he is.

- I would my father looked but with my eyes.

- Rather your eyes must with his judgment look.

- I beseech your grace that I may know the worst that may befall me in this case, if I refuse to wed Demetrius.

- Either to die the death, or to abjure forever the society of men.

- So will I grow, so live, so die, my lord.

My soul consents not to give sovereignty.

- Relent, sweet Hermia, and, Lysander, yield thy crazy title to my certain rights.

- You have her father's love, Demetrius, let's me have Hermia's.

Do you marry him?

- Scornful Lysander.

True, he hath my love, and what is mine my love shall render him.

And she is mine, and all my right of her I do estate unto Demetrius.

- I am, my lord, as well derived as he, as well possessed.

My love is more than his and, which is more than all these boasts can be, I am beloved of beauteous Hermia.

Why should not I then prosecute my right?

Demetrius, I'll avouch it to his head, confessed love to Helena.

- I must confess that I have heard so much of Demetrius thought to have spoke thereof, for you, fair Hermia, look you arm yourself to fit your fancies to your father's will, or else the law of Athens yields you up, by which no means we may extenuate to death, or to a vow of single life.

- [Demetrius] Hey, come on.

- How now, my love.

Why is your cheek so pale?

How chance the roses there do fade so fast?

- Belike for want of rain, which I could well beteem them from the tempest of my eyes.

- Ay me.

For aught that I could ever read, could ever hear by tale or history, the course of true love never did run smooth.

But, either it was different in blood or- - If then true lovers have been ever crossed, it stands as an edict in destiny.

- A good persuasion, therefore, hear me Hermia, I have a widow aunt, a dowager of great revenue, and she hath no child.

From Athens is her house remote seven leagues and she respects me as her only son.

There, gentle Hermia, may I marry thee, and to that place the sharp Athenian law cannot pursue us.

If thou lovest me then, steal forth thy father's house tomorrow night.

Then in the wood, a league without the town, there will I stay for thee.

- My good Lysander.

By all the vows that ever men have broke, in number more than ever women spoke, in that same place which thou hast appointed me, tomorrow truly will I meet with thee.

- Keep promise, love.

Look, here comes Helena.

- God speed fair Helena.

(Helena yells) Whither away?

- Call you me fair?

That's fair again unsay.

Demetrius loves your fair, oh happy fair.

Your eyes are lode-stars, and your tongue's sweet air, more tuneable than lark to shepherd's ear, when wheat is green, when hawthorn buds appear.

A sickness is catching.

Were the world mine, Demetrius being bated, the rest I'd give to be to you translated.

Oh, teach me how you look, and with what art you sway the motion of Demetrius' heart.

- I frown upon him, yet he loves me still.

- [Helena] Oh that your frowns would teach my smiles such skill.

- I give him curses, yet he gives me love.

- Oh that my prayers could such affection move.

- The more I hate, the more he follows me.

- The more I love, the more he hateth me.

- Take comfort.

He no more shall see my face, Lysander and myself will fly this place.

- Helen, to you our minds we will unfold.

Tomorrow night, a time that lover's flights doth still conceal, through Athens gates have we devised to steal - Farewell sweet playfellow, pray thou for us, and good luck grant thee thy Demetrius.

- (groans) How happy some o'er other some can be.

Through Athens I am thought as fair as she.

But what of that?

Demetrius thinks not so; he will not know what all but he do know.

And as he errs, doting on Hermia's eyes, so I, admiring of his qualities, things base and vile, folding no quantity.

I will go tell him a fair hermia's flight, and then to the wood will he tomorrow night pursue her, and for this intelligence, if I have thanks, it is a dear expense, but herein mean I to enrich my pain, to have his sight thither and back again.

(upbeat music) - And we're back from that wonderful performance from "A Midsummer Night's Dream," from the youth program of Shakespeare in Detroit.

And it's my pleasure to be sitting here with Evan Parrish, one of the actors in the youth program.

Hi Evan.

- Hello.

- So what role are you playing in "A Midsummer Night's Dream?"

- In "Midsummer," I was playing the role of Lysander, who, in this adaptation, was, like, a nerdy geeky kid, who had the heart of, like, one of the other popular girls at school.

And in this role I've got to explore a lot of, like, physicality.

I consider myself a very physical actor and I tend to find any opportunity I can to, like, use physical comedy.

And so with this role I got to take that just so very far.

There's so many things where I got to just look absolute, like, almost cartoonish with, like, my mannerisms and the way I walked and talked and, like, posed and whatnot.

- [Satori] What have you learned?

- I have learned mainly to investigate words more.

Like, whenever reading in class like ELA, or one of my first classes, introduction to theater, I always, like, it's almost second nature to look for literary devices, metaphors, similes, things like that.

And it allows me to have a better understanding of English in general, and, like, the nuances of different words and whatnot.

- So what would you say to youth like yourself who wanted to act or have an outlet for their creativity?

How would you tell them to be part of this?

- Don't be afraid to look a fool.

As crazy as that sounds, like the whole point of theater is making yourself look one way or another to give other people a show and some kind of joy or evoke some kind of emotion.

One of the biggest things I think holds people back from going into theater, is they're afraid of looking dumb on stage.

But that's kind of the whole reason why you're there, you're entertaining.

And eventually if you let go of that and you see the joy that your performance brings other people, you'll get that same joy, like, "Wow I did that, I made someone smile today or laugh today or cry today or something like that."

- And in your view, what is the greatest contribution of Shakespeare in Detroit?

- Inspiration.

Without Shakespeare Detroit, I don't think I would have fallen in love with acting the way that I have.

And I know a lot of people that I go to school with that can say the same.

Yeah, inspiration.

Giving people something that they wanna pursue and whether it be like performing onstage or trying tech, like lights and props backstage, inspiring people to do things that they may have never even thought of doing before.

- [Satori] Any last words?

- Tell someone that you love them today.

- It's been a pleasure sitting here with Evan Parrish from the Youth Conservatory of Shakespeare in Detroit.

And now we're going to the stage to see a performance from the professional company of Shakespeare in Detroit.

(slow tribal music) (slow tribal music continues) - [First Witch] Where hast thou been, sister?

- Killing swine.

- Sister, where thou?

- [First Witch] A sailor's wife had chestnuts in her lap and munched and munched and munched.

"Give me," quoth I.

"Aroint thee, witch," the rump-fed runnion cries.

Her husband's to Aleppo gone, master of the Tiger; but in a sieve I'll thither sail, and, like a rat without a tail, I'll do, I'll do, and I'll do.

- [Second Witch] I'll give thee a wind.

- Thou art kind.

- And I another.

- I myself have all the other.

I'll drain him dry as hay.

Sleep shall neither night nor day hang upon his penthouse lid.

He shall live a man forbid.

Weary seven nights, nine times nine, shall he dwindle, peak, and pine.

Though his bark cannot be lost, yet it shall be tempest-tossed.

Look what I have.

- [Second Witch] Show me, show me.

- Here I have a pilot's thumb, wracked as homeward he did come.

(drum bongs) - A drum, a drum.

Macbeth doth come.

- [All] The Weird Sisters, hand in hand, posters of the sea and land, thus do go about, about, thrice to thine and thrice to mine, and thrice again, to make up nine.

Peace, the charm's wound up.

- [Macbeth] So foul and fair a day I have not seen.

- How far is called to Forres?

What are these?

So withered and so wild in their attire, that look not like the inhabitants of the earth, yet are on it?

Live you?

Or are you aught that man may question?

You seem to understand me, by each at once her chappy finger laying upon her skinny lips.

- [Macbeth] Speak, if you can, what are you?

- All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of Glamis.

- [Second Witch] All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of Cawdor.

- [Third Witch] All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter.

- Good sir, why do you start, and seem to fear things that do sound so fair?

In the name of truth, are ye fantastical, or that indeed which outwardly ye show?

My noble partner you greet with present grace and great prediction of noble having of royal hope, that he seems rapt withal, to me you speak not.

If you can look into the seeds of time, and say which grain will grow and which will not, speak then to me, who neither beg nor fear your favors nor your hate.

- Hail.

- Hail.

- [Third Witch] Hail.

- [First Witch] Lesser than Macbeth, but greater.

- [Second Witch] Not so happy, but much happier.

- [Third Witch] Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none.

So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo.

- [First Witch] Banquo and Macbeth, all hail.

- Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more.

By Sinel's death I know I am thane of Glamis, but how of Cawdor?

The thane of Cawdor lives, a prosperous gentleman, and to be king stands not within the prospect of belief, no more than to be Cawdor.

Say from whence you owe this strange intelligence?

Or why upon this blasted heath you stop our way with such prophetic greeting?

Speak, I charge you.

- The earth hath bubbles, as the water has, and these are of them.

Whither are they vanished?

- Into the air.

And what seemed corporal melted as breath into the wind.

Would they had stayed.

- Were such things here as we do speak about?

Or have we eaten on the insane root that takes the reason prisoner?

- Your children shall be kings.

- You shall be king.

- And thane of Cawdor too, went it not so?

- To the selfsame tune and words.

Who's here?

- The king hath happily received, Macbeth, Thy words of thy success, and when he reads thy personal venture in the rebels' fight, his wonders and his praises do contend, which should be thine or his.

Silenced with that, in viewing over the rest of the selfsame day, he finds thee in the stout Norweyan ranks, nothing afeard of what thyself didst make, strange images of death.

As thick as hail came post with post, and every one did bear thy praises in thy kingdom's great defense, and poured them down before him.

- We are sent to give thee from our royal master thanks, only to herald thee into his sight, not pay thee.

- And, for an earnest of a greater honor, he bade me, from him, call thee thane of Cawdor.

In which addition, hail, most worthy thane, for it is thine.

- What, can the devil speak true?

- The thane of Cawdor lives, why do you dress me in borrowed robes?

- Who was the thane lives yet, but under heavy judgment bears that life which he deserves to lose.

Whether he was combined with those of Norway, or did line the rebel with hidden help and vantage, or that with both he labored in his country's wreck, I know not; but treasons capital, confessed and proved, have overthrown him.

- Glamis, and thane of Cawdor.

The greatest is behind.

Thanks for your pains.

Do you not hope your children shall be kings, when those that gave the thane of Cawdor to me, promised no less to them?

- That trusted home might yet enkindle you unto the crown, besides the thane of Cawdor.

But 'tis strange.

And oftentimes, to win us to our harm, the instruments of darkness tell us truths, win us with honest trifles, to betray us in deepest consequence.

Cousins, a word, I pray you.

- Two truths are told, as happy prologues to the swelling act of the imperial theme.

I thank you, gentlemen.

This supernatural soliciting cannot be ill, cannot be good.

If ill, why hath it given me earnest of success, commencing in a truth?

I am thane of Cawdor.

If good, why do I yield to that suggestion whose horrid image doth unfix my hair and make my seated heart knock at my ribs, against the use of nature?

Present fears are less than horrible imaginings.

My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, shakes so my single state of man that function is smothered in surmise, and nothing is but what is not.

- Look, how our partner's rapt.

- If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, without my stir.

- New honors come upon him, like our strange garments, cleave not to their mold but with the aid of use.

- Come what come may, time and the hour runs through the roughest day.

- Worthy Macbeth, we stay upon your leisure.

- Give me your favor, my dull brain was wrought with things forgotten.

Let us toward the king.

Think upon what hath chanced, and, at more time, the interim having weighed it, let us speak our free hearts each to other.

- Very gladly.

- Till then, enough.

Come, friends.

- And we're back from that stirring performance from Shakespeare in Detroit.

And I'm so excited to be sitting here with Dennis Kleinsmith, one of the premier members of the company.

Hi Dennis.

- Hi Satori.

- So how long have you been with the company, Shakespeare in Detroit?

- Well, almost from the very beginning.

I've been in the first professional show, which was 10 years ago, the production of "Othello," in which I played Iago, the main bad guy.

But Sam had already been doing some performances, short performances, in the hospital for children's cancer wards prior to that.

But that's how I met Sam.

- And so what has intrigued you so much about the company that you've been here that long?

- Well, one of the most important things about this, as in any industry, Sam is very dedicated to those people who work for her.

She looks out for them, she's loyal to them.

She always tries to do right by people.

But even and above that she's dedicated to the community.

- What is different or special about Shakespeare in Detroit?

- One of the things about Shakespeare in Detroit, she does bring in other directors, so we do get other viewpoints, but Sam has also gotten her masters and become a university instructor.

So there's a lot of research material available to us when we do a show.

It's not like, "Oh gee, I don't know how to do this."

There is just reams and years of experience available to every actor and performer of any kind.

- And why should we go see it?

- Well, aside from the fact that Sam is so dedicated to the city and dedicated to the community, it's an incredibly wonderful story for the space of two, two and a half hours, depending on how how much we pause.

You get to be on a stranded desert island.

You get to listen to music and enjoy fairies, and watch people fall in love and have obstacles.

I think one of the most attractive things about any theater is you get really drawn in out of your life, out of your cares and problems, and you get to go home with a smile on your face.

- And where is the show going to play?

Where is the run happening?

- We'll be down at Campus Martius this summer.

- Thank you so much, Dennis, for being here.

And thank you everybody for watching "Detroit Performs: Live from Marygrove," and we'll see you next time.

- [Narrator] Funding for Detroit performs is provided by the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation, Gregory Haynes and Richard Sonenklar, The Kresge Foundation, the A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Foundation, the Michigan Arts and Culture Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and by contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you.

Thank you.

(upbeat music) (logo chimes)