For this year’s customer appreciation event, Just Games is pleased to partner with the University of Rochester Chamber Orchestra’s performance of “A Mid-autumn Night’s Escape”, A D&D Adventure set to Mendelssohn’s a Midsummer Night’s Dream, on December 3 at 8 pm. A small degree of audience participation will be encouraged (it IS D&D after all), and no prior knowledge of Shakespeare or classical music is required to enjoy.
This will be an Orchestral performance of Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, with narration provided “Dungeons & Dragons Style” by a small group of experienced D&D players and actors. For those interested, non-speaking roles are available, contact outreach@justgamesroc.com. Many of our own community are already involved in this production, and we’d love to see a big turnout to root for them!
About the show
The familiar Shakespeare/Mendelssohn will be adopting a not-so-familiar guise as a live-action Dungeons and Dragons game. @rachel_waddell_conductor shares her impetus for the project, what she’s learned, and some thoughts on programming:
“Diverse programming means many
things – it’s intentionally programming music by minoritized and under-represented composers, and normalizing their integration into our seasons year-round. It can also mean presenting the same old works in new ways. When we’re talking about A Midsummer Night’s Dream, we’re dealing with Shakespearean plays and symphonic music – both of which have become very “high brow.” But we can forget that both were originally very much popular entertainment – they’re witty, hilarious, and entreat the audience to experience rather than just passively listen. The plot of A Midsummer Night’s Dream lends itself perfectly to a Dungeons and Dragons campaign. It has been incredible to think of how to bring this to life with the help of some fantastic and imaginative professionals in our Rochester community. It’s going to involve the audience in a way that traditional orchestral performances just don’t.
The idea for this project was born this past summer. I earned a certificate from @clivedavisinst and one of the courses introduced this idea of “breaking the screen.” Although it pertained to digital work, I was really struck by that concept. Orchestras do often behave as though we’re operating behind a screen. The conductor walks out and may not even acknowledge or speak to the audience. They turn their back, and that immediately creates a fourth wall that is traditionally unlikely to be broken for the rest of the performance. So, after I had that experience I challenged myself to always find a way to “break the screen” in every orchestra concert going forward.”
Details: Show is at the Upper Strong Auditorium 417 Alumni Rd, Rochester, NY 14627. Off Elm St, make a right into campus and go straight. It’s at the top of the hill. Best parking would be the Trustee Lot (to the right as you enter the university) or the library lot (behind the library). Don’t park in metered or reserved spots (Zone 1) – the rest are free at 7:00 pm.
What a great show this was! You can watch the livestream here:
