1. ABOUT THE PLAY
The Midnight Shakespeare Club follows three high schoolers who sneak into the woods at midnight to save their struggling club. What they don’t know is that their late‑night rehearsal is being secretly watched by Berry—an overwhelmed forest spirit whose fate becomes tied to the Shakespeare they perform. As the teens dive into scenes from the plays, they start discovering new confidence, new feelings, and new sides of themselves they never expected. But the more they unleash Shakespeare’s words, the more unpredictable the magic around them becomes.
And with Berry growing weaker, one question hangs in the air: will their next scene be the breakthrough they need… or the moment everything falls apart?
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2. MEET THE AUTHORS
BRENDAN BOURQUE-SHEIL
Brendan Bourque-Sheil is a writer of stories for the stage. His plays include Sunrise Coven, Dogrose Patrol, The Book of Maggie, Between Two Caves, Secret Menu, and The Sparkle Wars.
In Houston, where he's based, his plays have been produced at Stages Theatre, The Landing Theatre Company, San Jacinto College South and, soon to come, Main Street Theatre. He's also been produced in New York City, Chicago, Cincinnati, and Ann Arbor, among other places. He has been named a finalist for the National Playwrights’ Conference at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, the Reva Shiner Comedy Award, and Southwest Theatre Productions’ “Plays With a Strong Female Lead” Competition. He has received writing fellowships from James Madison University's New Works Lab and The Writers' Colony at Dairy Hollow. He has told stories about his life on World Channel’s Stories From the Stage and CityCast Houston, and he recently collaborated with visual artist Laura Spector on Burnout: The Music and Picture Show. For eleven years, he has worked as a teaching artist for Alley Theatre and the Kinder High School of Performing and Visual Arts.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: THE MAN BEHIND THE PLAYS
William Shakespeare is one of the most famous—many would argue the most famous—writers who have ever lived.
His reputation endures not simply because he wrote many plays, but because he understood people with an insight that remains unmatched. His works capture the complexities of ambition, love, jealousy, power, grief, and identity in ways that still feel strikingly modern. That, combined with his extraordinary command of poetic language, is why his plays continue to be read, studied, and performed around the world.
Shakespeare was born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. Although he came from a relatively ordinary background and received no university education, he moved to London in his twenties and quickly became a central figure in the city’s vibrant theatrical scene — working as both an actor and playwright.
Over the course of his career, Shakespeare wrote around 39 plays and 154 sonnets, exploring nearly every form of drama: tragedy, comedy, history, and romance.
Shakespeare died in 1616, but his influence has never faded. His plays have shaped literature, theatre, and even the English language itself.
Fun Fact: A Midsummer Night’s Dream often tops the list as the most produced play in the USA.
EXTERNAL RESOURCE BANK
For some extra Information about William Shakespeare and his life please utilize some of these external resources to gain a better understanding.
3. WHEN AND WHERE
TIME:
Night. Here. Now. What a Time to be alive!
SETTING:
A forest in a place not far from here.
5. GOOD TO KNOW
In this show, several of Shakespeare’s works are referenced. While we will give you the setup you need to follow the context, it will make your experience even more fun if you know just a little about these Shakespearean works.
Below is a list of Shakespeare’s plays woven into The Midnight Shakespeare Club.
You’ll also find a short plot summary of each one, along with how it’s used in the story.
- Which plays stand out to you?
- Which ones are you most excited to see in action?
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
Summary: Four teens get magically entangled in a love‑triangle tornado in an enchanted forest full of fairies who cannot mind their own business. It’s chaotic, romantic, and ends with everyone waking up like, “Did that actually happen?”
Keep an eye out: This play is referenced throughout the show, with some surprising parallels…
TITUS ANDRONICUS
Summary: Romans and Goths take turns committing absolutely unhinged acts of revenge until pretty much everyone is dead. It’s Shakespeare’s goriest play—like if Game of Thrones said “maybe dial it back,” and Shakespeare said “no.”
Keep an eye out: The bits of this play, performed by the characters, cause some controversy…
ROMEO AND JULIET
Summary: Two teens from feuding families fall instantly in love and make disastrously intense decisions over the course of, like three days.
Keep an eye out: An iconic scene is used to spark some romance…
HAMLET
Summary: Hamlet tries to figure out whether his uncle murdered his dad, but spends most of his time spiraling, overthinking, and wrecking some relationships. It’s the classic “my brain is loud and I don’t know what to do about it” tragedy.
Keep an eye out: The most famous lines of English Literature make an appearance…
HENRY V
Summary: King Henry rallies his hopeless, exhausted army to win an impossible war against France. The play is basically the original inspirational sports movie, but with swords.
Keep an eye out: Its famous speech is used as a powerful self-regulation tool…
JULIUS CAESAR
Summary: A group of senators assassinate the wildly popular Julius Caesar to “save” Rome—only to spark chaos, revenge, and a full‑blown civil war. It’s a story about loyalty, power, and how badly things go when nobody trusts anyone.
Keep an eye out: The play is quoted multiple times, for good reason…
Awesome fact: Did you know that Nelson Mandela used this play to help keep hope when he was in prison!!?
MACBETH (A.K.A. “THE SCOTTISH PLAY”)
Summary: Macbeth meets some creepy witches, gets told he’ll be king, and then commits murder after murder to make it happen. It’s a fast, spooky spiral into guilt, paranoia, and “maybe don’t trust random prophecies in the woods.”
Keep an eye out: The Midnight Shakespeare Club takes a turn when the students perform a spooky scene…
ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA
Summary: A Roman general falls for the powerful Queen Cleopatra, and their love story gets tangled up in politics, war, and some dramatic, high-stakes choices. It’s part romance, part power struggle, part “no one here is making good decisions.”
Keep an eye out: Robin channels the iconic queen…
AS YOU LIKE IT
Summary: A bunch of characters run away to a magical forest where everyone suddenly becomes poetic, philosophical, and emotionally honest. It’s a feel‑good comedy where people figure out who they really are once they escape the drama of court life.
Keep an eye out: “All the worlds a stage…”
"Some how, Shakespeare always seems to have something to say to us."
- NELSON MANDELA
6. IAMBIC PENTAMETER
"Yes, I speak English."
Shakespeare may be hard to understand at first, but he wasn't writing in Old English - his plays are all in early Modern English. And the more practice you get reading it, the easier it will be to understand.
So sigh no more, and let's get to it!
Shakespeare often wrote in
A poetic form which made his lines easier for actors to memorize and more emotionally expressive.
Iambic Pentameter:
What is it & Why did Shakespeare love it?
7. WHO'S WHO
Read the descriptions below and click on each photo for the actor’s bio.
Weaver – The Shakespeare‑obsessed junior with a flair for the dramatic.
She lives half in the real world and half in the world of Shakespeare’s darkest tragedies. Fiercely loyal to Robin and always armed (emotionally and literally) with a stage dagger, she hides something behind theatrics and quotes.
Key Traits:
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Intense
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Loyal
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Accidentally hilarious
Emily Buesing
Weaver
Robin – The big‑hearted senior who believes Shakespeare is a love language.
She adores the romance, the poetry, the possibility that life can be as magical as the plays she loves. Hopeful and impulsive, Robin is always trying to conjure a fairytale—even if it means dragging Weaver into the woods at midnight.
Key Traits:
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Romantic
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Optimistic
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A little chaotic
Myra Monsivais
Robin
Demetri – The anime‑loving “golden retriever” who stumbles into Shakespeare by accident.
He wants to help, wants to impress, and wants everything to be epic—preferably with swords. Enthusiastic but absolutely clueless about Shakespeare, he barrels into the club with wide‑eyed excitement and zero context.
Key Traits:
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Earnest
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Excitable
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Lovably oblivious
Camryn Nunley
Demetri
Berry – The exhausted forest spirit with Puck energy and burnout vibes.
Tasked with protecting the woods, Berry is part‑guide, part‑chaos gremlin, and part‑existential narrator. He uses the teens’ Shakespeare recitations to literally revive the forest, even though he is far too tired to be doing any of this.
Key Traits:
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Mischievous
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Weary
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Soft‑hearted beneath the snark
Austin Brady
Berry
8. YOUR PART IN THE PLAY
The show can't happen without an audience. Watch the video for some great advice on playing your part.
BONUS ACTIVITY
AUDIENCE ETIQUETTE
After watching the video, improvise scenes where you encounter the best and worst audience members. If you create something fun and want to share it, tag us at @alleytheatre on Instagram or Facebook for a chance to be featured on our social platforms.
9. POST-SHOW TALKBACK
If you and your students plan to participate in the post-show talkback, encourage them to ask questions!
