COLUMBUS, Ohio — A beloved central Ohio institution returns this week as the Actors’ Theatre of Columbus takes the stage in German Village for another summer of outdoor drama, action, suspense and family fun.
For their first show of the season, the group is bringing Sherwood Forest to Schiller Park with an all-new take on the adventures of Robin Hood.
"Robin Hood is kind of a timeless story and very adaptable," said Philip J. Hickman, the writer/director of the original work. "Societally, do we need a hero, do we want to talk about sheriffs and law and things like that, do we want a romance; that's there as well. So, Robin Hood is a very flexible story that we can make very modern while having a very familiar heart."
Hickman updated his take on the Robin Hood lore by pulling back from the hero's closeup and focusing on the community around him.
"We want to talk about the sheriff and his life," Hickman elaborated, "and we want to talk about the sheriff's guards and the merry folks and their lives; Robin Hood is a part of a network and a part of a community, not this, kind of, wrecking ball hero who comes in and everything just magnetizes to him."
“This is our 42nd year performing in Schiller Park right here in German Village,” explained Hickman, who also serves as the Actors' Theatre's artistic director. “It’s a tremendous privilege to be a part of this community.”
The theater was founded in 1982 by Patricia and Gary Ellson who lived across the street from the park. That summer, they decided to perform Shakespeare’s "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" for the community.
For years, they continued their tradition in the park. In the mid-1990s, the city added the performance space that has been the theater’s home ever since.
As the summers pass, the Actors’ Theatre continues to evolve, improving the audience’s experience with each advancement.
“We have a great board at the Actors’ Theatre,” said Hickman
Over the past few years, their board has approved significant improvements to the company’s audio and lighting capabilities.
“Most of what we’re using in the park this year is brand-new equipment; it’s the biggest, kind of, leap forward in technology that we’ve had in more than a decade and it’s really exciting.”
Even with the technological enhancements, the focus remains on keeping the experience grounded in the community.
"I think it's really important for us to have access to other human beings doing art," said Hickman. "We kind of fall into this false idea that art is only done by people who live far away and have, like, these very niche, expert educations and, in reality, a lot of your neighbors are very talented people doing incredible things and being able to share that with one another as a community, I think, is vitally important."
"Robin Hood" runs through June 18 at Schiller Park in German Village. The Actors’ Theatre of Columbus is a nonprofit organization; all of their performances are free and open to the public with donations encouraged for those who are able.
For more information on "Robin Hood," or to check out the rest of their summer lineup, visit the Actors' Theatre of Columbus here.
