Steps To The Stage

Send us Fan MailShakespeare can feel intimidating right up until you’re sitting a few feet from the actors and the story starts sounding like real life. We’re joined by directors Mickey Estrella and Marlee Lane to talk about the CCCT Shakespeare Festival at 7th Street Community Theater, running August 20th through the 29th, and why this kind of up-close community theater is the best way to remember what Shakespeare was made for: performance, laughter, tension, and a room full of people reacting together. Mickey walks us through a bold, joyful approach to A Midsummer Night’s Dream that shifted during callbacks into an all-female cast and a “we’re playing pretend” energy that makes rehearsal lighter and the fairy world feel genuinely magical. We dig into how casting can create a safe learning environment, why fun is a serious directing tool, and how giving performers real ownership, including costume creation, can deepen character work fast. Marlee shares a modern Romeo and Juliet concept built around the “in-between”, using public transportation as a metaphor for the spaces where people think, change, and imagine. We also get practical about staging: designing one simple shared set for two wildly different shows, coordinating colors and tech needs, and making a festival that feels like a complete experience rather than two separate productions. If you love Shakespeare, modern adaptations, directing craft, or just want a great night of live theater in Chino, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share this with a theater friend, and leave a review to help more people find local community theater.August 20-29thChino Community Children's Theatre – It's Great to Be Back!Find STTS:Steps To The Stage (@stepstothestage) | InstagramFacebookSteps To The Stage (buzzsprout.com)Steps To The Stage – YouTubePlease follow on your favorite podcast platform and we appreciate 5 Star ratings and positive reviews!