I’m in Illinois for a few weeks directing a production of Anton Chekov’s The Seagull at Augustana College. Rehearsals started on Monday, and things are swimming along nicely.
I mentioned earlier that there’s an Oakland connection to this particular production. Here’s how it goes: When I was a student at ACT in San Francisco (last century) I played Dr. Dorn in a version of The Seagull by Dakin Matthews. We’re using this particular version of The Seagull for the production I’m directing at Augustana. Dakin is familiar to Bay Area theatre aficionados as the former artistic director of the Berkeley Shakespeare Festival. What you may not know is that he was born in Oakland.
Dakin is a renaissance man of the theatre. He’s a dramaturg, a playwright, a director, an actor, and a teacher. I was extremely fortunate to have met Dakin in my artistic youth. His influence on my development as an actor and director is significant. Returning to the script he wrote for The Seagull is a real joy for me.
If you happen to be in Rock Island, IL, between the 30th of April and the 9th of May, I hope you’ll join us for a performance.