South Owners Bring August Shakespeare To 5th Avenue

Nothing says summer like Shakespeare in the park, but South (629 5th Avenue, between 17th and 18th Street) owners Paul Molnar and Dee-Byrd Molnar are kicking things up a notch next week with a little Shakespeare in the parking lot.

We sat down with Paul to learn a bit more about South Brooklyn Shakespeare, and their August 8th performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

SSN: Tell us about the genesis of South Brooklyn Shakespeare.

PM: So my wife Dee and I had a pipe dream about doing an outdoor free shakespeare event in our neighborhood. We both have an acting and directing background and have produced shows while I was in Graduate School in Florida. So we mentioned it in passing to our Landlord who in turn brought it up at a meeting for the Park Slope 5th Ave BID, and to our surprise they loved the idea and gave us a small budget to help produce it. In addition Howard Mankind, of Aarons Reality, our landlord and owner of the parking lot we are performing in gave us the space free of charge. He also is giving us a free space to rehearse.

With all of Shakespeare’s plays to chose from, what made Midsummer the choice for your first production?

It seemed the perfect introduction to a new outdoor summer Shakespeare company. Kid friendly, which is such a catch phrase in these parts now, but also a funny, romantic, and exciting play.

We love that you guys are taking advantage of a parking lot for the performance. Are there any special challenges, though, that come along with performing in such an urban environment?

Challenges will be moving from the rehearsal space to the venue. This will be a rare opportunity for an audience to see tech, final dress, first preview, opening, and closing nights all in a single performance! Since we have never done this process before, I am sure some of the challenges will come in the moment. The most obvious one would be rain, however if that happens we will still do the show in the rehearsal space which is right across the street and will be able to fit a nice size audience.

What can you tell us about the actors performing in the show?

Four of us are South Slope locals, the rest are coming in from Manhattan, Queens, and Bushwick. All of our designers are also South Slope locals.

What can neighbors expect when they settle in for the performance?

The vision that Dee and I have is to have the audience come in about 7-7:15 and set up their blankets or chairs, have a cooler with some snacks and some drinks, and enjoy what this wonderful community has to offer. The other thing to keep in mind is that this event is totally free.

South Brooklyn Shakespeare’s performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream will take place in the parking lot on 5th Avenue and 17th Street on Thursday, August 8. Gates open at 7pm and the show starts at 8pm. Admission is free. For more information, including cast and crew bios, visit the company’s website.