Michael Brian Ogden appears as Henry in Water Works Theatre Company's production of "Henry V." Photo: Don Schulte Photography

Water Works Theatre Company announces 2012 production casts

ROYAL OAK - Water Works Theatre company's founder and Chairman, Edward Nahhat, announced the company has cast its 12th annual Shakespeare In The Park productions. Shakespeare in the Park is Michigan's biggest outdoor professional theater event featuring two weeks of theatrical fun in the middle of the tree-filled 28-acre Starr Jaycee Park.

Tickets ($6-$20) are on sale now for "Henry V" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

Sara Catheryn Wolf is excited to be directing the story of Shakespeare's greatest hero, Henry V. "I am thrilled to be working on one of my favorite plays with such a dynamic cast," states Wolf. "Henry V is a character that we can all journey with; a character who calls on our own noble and determined spirits despite incredible odds. Our Henry, combined with a cast of fascinating characters of all types and class, weaves a story to warm us all, reminding us to hold our heads up high and fight against the overwhelming odds of our own lives."

Joining Wolf on the show's production team are stage manager Kelly Davis, sound designer Robert Glowacki, set designer, production manager and fight choreographer John Manfredi, with costume and props designed by Cheryl Churchill.

Performance times for "Henry V" are 8 p.m. Thursday - Saturday, August 2, 3, 4 and 9, 10 and 11; and 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 5 and 12. Tickets are $20 and are good for any performance.

The cast for William Shakespeare's "Henry V" includes:
Jon Ager - Dauphin
Stephen Blackwell - Constable
Kirk Haas - Fluellen
Zach Hendrickson - Montjoy
Erika Hoveland - Hostess Quickley/Alice
Phil Hughes - Orleans/Governor
Keith Kalinowski - Exeter
Clifford Katskee - Pistol
Artun Kircali - Canterbury/Williams
Lauren Knox - Katherine
Scott Myers - Bardolph/Bates
Patrick O'Lear - French King/Erpingham
Michael Brian Ogden - Henry V
Doug Warhall - Nym

Water Works has tapped Barton Bund to direct a whirlwind version of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" as the company's daylight family show. This is Bund's second directing credit for Water Works, after directing 2010's hilarious "Two Gentlemen of Verona." Bund's recent directing credits include "At Home At The Zoo" for Detroit Ensemble Theatre, "Twelfth Night" for Shakespeare West, "Women in Love" for the Blackbird Theatre, and his original musical "Patty Hearst." He has appeared in Williamston Theatre's award-winning production of "Oedipus," and played the title role in "Macbeth" this summer in Ann Arbor's Shakespeare West festival.

The one-hour family oriented production will run at 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, August 4, 5, 11 and 12 as well as at 7 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday, Aug. 7 and 8. Tickets are $6 and are good for any performance.

The cast for "A Midsummer Night's Dream" includes:
Jedd Nickerson - Demetrius/Bottom
Julia Garlotte - Hermenia/Pick/Quince
Don Johnson - Oberon/Theseus/Wall
Jamie Weeder - Helena/Titania/Hipplyta
Jonathan West - Lysander/Flute.

Returning for its second year will be Water Works' adaptation of Shakespeare's Sonnets, "Summer Sonnets," a free production on Saturday and Sunday afternoons featuring an original script by Audra Lord. Titled "All About (A Midsummer's) Eve" and directed by Water Works veteran JM Ethridge, this creative script weaves Shakespeare's sonnets into a hilarious tale of a diva, an ingenue and a director who wants to date them both.

Performance times for "Summer Sonnets" are 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 4, 5, 11 and 12.

The cast for "Summer Sonnets" includes:
Joanna Bronson - Ingenue
Jacklynn Cherry - Fan
Meredith Deighton - Minstrel
Phil Hughes - Director
Sarah McEneaney - Fan
Kez Settle - Diva.

All events take place in Starr Jaycee Park, 1301 W. 13 Mile Road, Royal Oak. For performances, guests can bring blankets for near the stage lawn seating, low-to-the-ground lawn chairs, or choose seating in the Water Works bleachers. Pre-show picnicking is allowed in Starr Jaycee Park, but not in the theater area. Convenient parking is available in the park's paved lots within walking distance of the Water Works outdoor stage. Beer and Wine will be available this season in the theatre area with proper identification.

Tickets are on sale now for "Henry V" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and can be purchased online at www.waterworkstheatre.com.

Shakespeare In The Park 2012 Performance Schedule

Thursday, Aug. 2
8 p.m. - Henry V, $20

Friday, Aug. 3
8 p.m. - Henry V, $20

Saturday, Aug. 4
1 p.m. - A Midsummer Night's Dream, $6
3 p.m. - Summer Sonnets, free
8 p.m. - Henry V, $20

Sunday, Aug. 5
1 p.m. - A Midsummer Night's Dream, $6
3 p.m. - Summer Sonnets, free
5 p.m. - Henry V, $20

Tuesday, Aug. 7
7 p.m. - A Midsummer Night's Dream, $6

Wednesday, Aug. 8
7 p.m. - A Midsummer Night's Dream, $6

Thursday, Aug. 9
8 p.m. - Henry V, $20

Friday, Aug. 10
8 p.m. - Henry V, $20

Saturday, Aug. 11
1 p.m. - A Midsummer Night's Dream, $6
3 p.m. - Summer Sonnets, free
8 p.m. - Henry V, $20

Sunday, Aug. 12
1 p.m. - A Midsummer Night's Dream $6
3 p.m. - Summer Sonnets, free
5 p.m. - Henry V, $20