Art Beat Q & A with Ballinger Shakespeare Company’s founding members

Ballinger Shakespeare Company (BSC) makes its debut with a free, outdoor staging of Much Ado About Nothing at Edmonds’ Mathay-Ballinger Park, July 17-20. Co-founded by actor, playwright and educator Joe Wack and Megan Joplin, freelance photographer and newly appointed Edmonds Arts Commissioner, BSC seeks to bring the timeless magic of Shakespeare to Edmonds, free and accessible to all. In addition to launching their first production, Joplin and Wack will also celebrate 23 years of marriage this week.

Guided by a mission to create inclusive and joyful theater, BSC contributes heart and a welcoming spirit to Edmonds’ growing arts ecosystem. Ahead of the company’s inaugural performance, I sat down with Wack, BSC’s artistic director, and Joplin, managing director, to uncover the story behind their exciting new venture.

Nahline Gouin (NG): What inspired the creation of Ballinger Shakespeare Company and why did you feel now was the right time to bring it to life?

Joe Wack (JW): Mathay-Ballinger Park is just down the street from our house, and we’re there all the time. Our kids play there, we walk our dogs down there, and more than once we’ve walked through it and thought, “You could do a show here. There are several spots that would work perfectly for it.” So after saying more than once, “Someone should do that,” we realized no one was going to. So we did.

Megan Joplin (MJ): I think, for myself, living in that area — it’s an area where there isn’t a lot of arts programming compared to downtown [Edmonds].

JW: Something for the Lake Ballinger neighborhood — our neighbors. We don’t get a lot of focus from the city, so we kind of thought this would be something for the people in our neighborhood to be able to walk to and enjoy.

JW: Why now? I’m a teacher, and I have summers free — we have the time to do it. And after talking about it for years, it just felt like the right time to finally do it.

MJ: I think for me, it felt like the timing was different — after some losses in my family — I just knew it was the right moment to do something joyful.

NG: In what ways does the setting of Mathay-Ballinger Park reflect your vision?

JW: To me, “Much Ado About Nothing” is very much a summery kind of play. There are a lot of characters walking through the orchard or celebrating outside, and it seems like a good park — a great place — to recreate those scenes.

MJ: Did you mention there’s a tree — like a tree canopy?

JW: There are several places that are framed by trees in a way that makes it nice. So, we’re doing the play at different angles. And the park — especially the north end of the park — lends itself to that.

NG: What drew you to Much Ado About Nothing for your very first play, and why do you think it’s the perfect play to introduce Ballinger Shakespeare Company?

JW: Well, gradually, we talked about doing Merry Wives of Windsor, and as I was reading through it with Megan, thinking about how we would stage it, I realized that I didn’t love it. I thought, well, what Shakespeare do I love? And Much Ado was right there at the top because in every production I’ve seen, Beatrice and Benedick are some of the best-written characters in Shakespeare. Their relationship is not like any relationship in other comedies — they really come off as equals.

I guess, to me, it’s a lot about the patriarchy and the lack of options that women had or have, and so I wanted to use it to comment on that…I think now is also a really good time to do that, given the state of our country and comedy.

MJ: I’m very interested in that kind of funny too.

JW: Yeah, there’s tons of comedy in there. And then, I just wanted to make it as funny and silly as I could.

NG: What is it about offering Shakespeare in the park that you feel might shift something in the hearts or imaginations of those who come to watch?

JW: Well, all right, for one thing, I feel like a lot of people who haven’t seen much Shakespeare have the attitude that it isn’t accessible. Like, “ I don’t even understand what they’re saying. Why would I watch this? It’s boring.”

But if you can get actors who can funnel that dialogue through their own sensibilities — who can communicate clearly and make the meaning behind the lines apparent — it becomes much more accessible.

MJ: Also, I think people like to laugh, and we have a very, very funny show. I think that’s something we need right now. We really do want to give back joy to the community.

JW: We want people to think anyone’s able to see it. We lived in New York for a long time, and you have that experience there of somebody just walking through a park, and you might happen across something. You’re not going there for that purpose, but then you’ll stop and sit down and watch.

And, I mean — we have Wooden O, we have GreenStage [Shakespeare companies] — we have groups like that, but they can only come here on occasion. And when they do, they’re not in our neighborhood. So we thought, let’s give that experience to the people in our neighborhood.

All throughout our neighborhood, there are so many people walking through [the park]. Maybe someone sees the advertisements and plans to come or just stumbles across — we want everyone to enjoy it. Or even magically — if someone came by during, like, Act III, and sat and watched, and then they think, “Oh, I’ve got to come back tomorrow to see the rest of it, because I missed the beginning.”

NG: Your core values emphasize accessibility, inclusivity, nurturing young artists, and creating a safe and positive environment for your cast and crew. That is truly inspiring. How do these values guide the way you cast, rehearse and share your work with the community?

JW: Well, our cast is great. We have a mix of people — very seasoned professionals, folks my age who I worked with in Seattle’s theaters in the ‘90s. And some who are students at Cornish [College of the Arts] or recent graduates. Young artists and ancient people like me.

We’ve got older artists who can, not exactly mentor, but share what they know with the younger artists. And it’s great to see. Like, when José [Amador] and Jacob [Guzman] are doing their scenes — it’s so good — the interaction is alive. José brings energy, and Jacob responds to it. They are our Don Pedro and Claudio.

As far as inclusivity, we very purposefully set out to cast people in roles they might not traditionally get. Sometimes that means we’ve got a nonbinary person playing a binary character, or someone playing a different or opposite gender. And it just works.

MJ: We went to the [Shakespeare’s] Globe and saw the production of As You Like It with a cast of hearing-impaired actors. They were using sign language throughout — most of the audience didn’t understand it [ASL], and yet they communicated everything so clearly.

And I don’t know sign language, but I understood everything they were doing and saying. It was really incredible. The actors were able to…yes, convey the story because they were just good actors.

JW:  As far as safety, we have a fantastic and professional intimacy director, Sarah Harlett. There’s not a ton of intimacy in the show, but we want to make sure we are following best practices for that.

MJ: And you know, she also is an amazing director to work with in any capacity; we are super lucky to have her. 

JW: All those things are kind of like — well, we were meant to be doing this right now, because all these folks, all these really talented people, fell into place here. So clearly, this was the time.

MJ: And our stage manager, who’s also in the Arts Commission, Beth Henkes, is fantastic.

NG: You both bring different backgrounds — how do your skills complement each other in building this company?

JW: Well, I think we’ve worked together at so many different times in our lives. We’re always able to do it. We have different sensibilities. I always go for the funny thing, and while you [Joplin] have a great sense of humor, you’re also more about the aesthetics — you bring that. You’re much more organized than I am. 

MJ: And, I think also, the two of us together can remind each other of things that need to be done, push each other to get tasks done. Like, I’ll remind you to fill out paperwork for something, right? And, we’re really excited about this.

NG: As you put together your very first performance, are there any stories that truly capture the spirit of Ballinger Shakespeare Company?

JW: Because producing a show in the park is hit or miss — since you don’t know what the weather’s going to bring — you have to have some indoor rehearsal space. The Edmonds Library was so generous to give us a space to rehearse, and they were so excited about it.

Yes, that’s what I’m saying—like, my school [Echo Lake Elementary School in Shoreline]—they let me rent out my classroom for some rehearsals. Then the Edmonds Library — this whole [venture] has built a sense of community, and the community has really helped us out.

MJ: We’ve gotten so much positive feedback, and we’ve gotten the generous use of the library and the participation of so many great people in the community — really indicative of [Edmonds’] community nature.

While the performances are free, Ballinger Shakespeare Company has launched a GoFundMe to sustain their mission. Donations will help support future programming and provide stipends for the actors who bring the work to life.

Much Ado About Nothing will be performed at 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, July 17-19, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 20 at Mathay Ballinger Park, 24100 78th Pl. W., Edmonds. Bring a picnic blanket, or lawn chair, and enjoy the magic of a midsummer night filled with laughter, wit and community spirit. 

For more information, visit here, follow on Instagram @ballingershakes, or email ballingershakes@gmail.com.