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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MEET THE AUTHORS
Two people are responsible for this dynamic story: one has been dead for 400 years, and one is very much thriving in Houston.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
The Midnight Shakespeare Club features selections from Shakespeare’s 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.
BRENDAN BOURQUE-SHEIL
This Houston-based playwright has crafted the contemporary story that drives The Midnight Shakespeare Club.
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.
WHEN AND WHERE
TIME:
Night. Here. Now.
What a Time to be alive!
SETTING:
A forest...
in a place not far from here...
GOOD TO KNOW
Below is a list of Shakespeare’s plays woven into The Midnight Shakespeare Club.
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 plays.
Click on each picture to learn more, You’ll 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?
SHAKESPEARE AND HOPE
Did you know that Nelson Mandela, while in prison, secretly drew inspiration from Shakespeare?
"Some how, Shakespeare always seems to have something to say to us."
- NELSON MANDELA
In 1971 Mandela's fellow inmate Sonny Venkatrathnam smuggled in a copy of "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare" into the prison disguised as a holy text. It was shared and read by many fellow inmates. During Nelson Mandela's 27 years in prison, the text provided hope and relief. The book became known as the "Robben Island Bible." Mandela signed multiple passages in the book including a quote from Julius Caesar.
"Cowards die many times before their deaths:
The valiant never taste of death but once. of all the wonders that I yet have heard, it seems to me most strange that men should fear, seeing that death, a necessary end, will come when it comes."
Here you'll see where Mandela signed and date
his name in the Robben Island Bible
WHAT LANGUAGE DID SHAKESPEARE SPEAK?
"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?
WHO'S WHO
Here you can explore the characters that you’ll see in The Midnight Shakespeare Club.
Emily Buesing
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
Mayra Monsivais
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
Camryn Nunley
Demetri
Austin Brady
Berry
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
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
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.
POST-SHOW TALKBACK
If we stick around for a talk back after the show here is a helpful guide to get you started!
Great
starter
questions
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What made this rehearsal and performance process special?
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What was the biggest challenge in creating the right mood and atmosphere for The Midnight Shakespeare Club?
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What was your favorite scene to perform and why?
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What do you hope the audience remembers most after seeing The Midnight Shakespeare Club?
