If you’ve spent much time at USF St. Petersburg, you’ve met some of the campus’ water carriers – those dedicated individuals who are the backbone of the campus and give it the intimate feel that students, staff and faculty love. Veronica Leone Matthews is one of those individuals. Matthews, 35, was born and raised in St. Petersburg and not only has received her bachelor’s, and master’s degrees at USFSP, but is now a doctoral student and an office manager in the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library. She’s been a staple around the campus for more than a decade. She’s also a staple to the city and the arts community. In 2014, she launched the non-profit St. Petersburg Shakespeare Festival, continuing a lifelong interest in acting, and which for the last five years has brought full-length free outdoor productions to the community. During preparations for the current production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Williams Park, we asked Matthews a few questions about herself, as well as where the St. Petersburg Shakespeare Festival has been and where it is going.
What is your background in theater?
My father was an arborist. When I was growing up, American Stage offered to give me free acting lessons in turn for his tree services. He agreed and I started classes there. I got my first acting role at age 11 in a production of Shakespeare’s All’s Well that Ends Well.
Why did you start the St. Petersburg Shakespeare Festival?
The American Stage Theater Company hosted Shakespeare in the Park for over 35 years, starting in 1986. They discontinued their Shakespeare in the Park programming in 2006, which created a void for me and many people. There was a long tradition and a dream team of composers and actors and directors. They still do musicals with American Stage in the Park, but I wanted to bring back an outdoor Shakespeare experience for the St. Petersburg community.
How did you get started?
I graduated from USF St. Petersburg with a bachelor’s in English, and had taken Shakespeare classes with Professor Lisa Starks, who was also my thesis advisor. She helped me start the organization, and we hosted the productions on campus for the first three years until we needed a bigger space and moved to Williams Park. There was an actor named Christopher Edwards who had performed in American Stage’s productions. I approached him with the idea and all the obstacles, namely funding. He told me that if you don’t start, you’ll never know. It really started as a family affair. My mother did stage management the first few years. My husband Mark, who was the founder of the Music Industry Recording Arts program at St. Petersburg College, contributed to sound design. Countless friends pitched in to load and unload — outdoor theater takes a lot of physical work!
What is your vision for the St Petersburg Shakespeare Festival?
I want to create opportunities for educational engagement with Shakespeare’s texts, both in and out of the classroom and for all ages. St. Petersburg Shakespeare Festival has already matured into a solid place for first time actors looking for some stage experience as well as local, professional actors who are eager to play with Shakespeare.
Who is your ideal audience? What is your ideal cast member?
We want our audience to laugh, clap, cry and engage with us on stage and off. The ideal cast member is one who shows up to rehearsal on time, ready to work and who is kind AND talented! Oh, and ability to project is a plus (since we are outdoors).
Tell us about the current show.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream is the first show in our fifth season. We’re so excited to be in Williams Park again for our third production there. We’re collaborating with The Studio @620, a local performance venue that is a community staple for all type of artistic endeavors. Their motto is, “Always say yes.” When they approached us about the collaboration, of course, we said yes! I received the 2018 Artist Award from St. Petersburg Arts Alliance to make this collaboration possible. It has been great working with Bob Devin Jones, who is a force! Though a quiet and kind force. I have learned so much from him. The show is energetic, playful and exciting with lots of movement.
If I told you to think big related to Shakespeare in St. Petersburg, what would you like to see?
I’m already thinking big! We are excited to have just launched this current co-production with Bob Devin Jones and Studio@620 and we have plans to continue that collaboration. We also have some important goals to reach in the next several years: We are in talks with the composer and director to restage in 2022 the popular rock version of Macbeth to mark the 25th anniversary of its 1997 American Stage showing. We have important relationships with theater leaders across the country and we are exploring co-productions that could play on the west coast as well as Florida.
What do you need to accomplish that and your vision?
We need funding, as is always the case. We need volunteers who are passionate about what we do. And I need longer days!
How can people contribute?
People can donate on our website. The biggest thing we need now is sound equipment and costumes, and volunteers who either have time and energy to help with the nitty gritty work, or people who have a specific talent, like sewing or sound design.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Thursday-Sunday @ 7:30pm through November 11
Williams Park – 350 2nd Ave N, St. Petersburg
Bring blankets and/or chairs, picnics encouraged
Free! Donations accepted