Ed Isser has become an aficionado of the Weather Channel. As director of the Redfeather Theatre Company’s upcoming outdoor production of Richard III, Isser finds himself keeping up to the minute with the latest forecast. “I’m Googleing the weather constantly,” Isser said.

Last summer Redfeather partnered with the College of the Hoy Cross in a production of “As You Like It” at the Green Hill Park Memorial Grove Amphitheatre in Worcester. The production enjoyed a run of 15 straight performances without a single rain out.

“It’s dangerous to follow that kind of success,” said Isser who also is chairman of the Theater Department at Holy Cross and serves as executive director of Redfeather.
“The terrifying aspect of doing an outdoor performance is the unpredictability of Mother Nature,” Isser said.  

Rain or shine, August is becoming synonymous with Shakespeare at Green Hill Park. Since 2004 the Redfeather Theatre Company has staged productions of “Twelfth Night,” “Two Gentlemen of Verona,” “The Tempest,” and “As You Like It.” This summer’s much-anticipated production of “Richard III” is a testament to Redfeather’s burgeoning success.

Beginnings
Redfeather was founded in 2004 by Tim Smith. Smith, a professional actor and acting instructor at Holy Cross recalled the challenges of starting a theater company on a shoestring budget and keeping it running beyond the first year.

“The first year we housed and fed eleven actors who were literally living in tents at Camp Putnam,” he said. Camp Putnam is a Fresh Air Fund camp for children located in New Braintree. 

Smith explained that the name “Redfeather” was actually derived from the experience at Camp Putnam during that first summer. 

"These red feathers were all over the camp,” said Smith. “The campers would receive red feathers in recognition of different achievements. In a way the red feather seemed symbolic of the growth and maturity of the company through that first year.”

Smith explained that he wanted the company to stay connected to those early days, and so the name Redfeather was born.

In the fall of 2005, Smith was hired as an acting instructor at Holy Cross. Smith’s new position at the college laid the foundation for the partnership between Redfeather and Holy Cross to flourish.

The collaboration seemed to be a good fit. The college had the resources to support the theater company, namely space and equipment, and Redfeather provided Holy Cross students with an opportunity to hone their skills in a professional environment.
Isser explained that “As you like It” was somewhat of a “test run” to see how things would work out between Redfeather and Holy Cross. With the production of “Richard III” scheduled to run Wednesday through Sunday from Aug. 1 to 19, both the company and the college seem to have passed the “test.”

Bigger investment
According to Isser, the production of “Richard III” represents a “bigger investment” than “As You Like It,” but warned against getting too ambitious too soon.
“We want to be realistic and take things one step at a time” said Isser.

The production process begins around February with administrative tasks and play selection.

“We try to choose something that we feel the audience will enjoy. We want people to come out to the park with a picnic and have fun,” said Isser.

Isser believes that “Richard III” will be a real crowd pleaser calling it a “thrilling joyride” and declaring the title character of Richard to be “the original Hannibal Lector.”
Smith, who will be playing the lead role of Richard, says that play selection mostly comes down to economics and desire.

“With ‘Richard III,’ you get a lot of things,” says Smith. “In some ways the play is really like an action flick that relies on the charisma of Richard.”

Rehearsals began July 1 and will run for the entire month until the play opens on Aug. 1. The production will feature a collection of local talent with professional actors from Boston and Worcester, along with Holy Cross students and alumni.

Worcester actor Bill Sigalis has been involved with Redfeather since its beginning.
“The earlier productions were much more raw,” recalled Sigalis, who directed Redfeather’s “Two Gentlemen of Verona” during the company’s first summer.” 

Sigalis, a guest artist in the theater department at Clark University will perform the role of Richard’s brother George, Duke of Clarence. The performance will mark the first time that Sigalis appears in a Redfeather production and he’s looking forward to it, particularly the scene in which he meets his demise, which he explains “involves a big tub of wine.”

Aside from the obvious weather concerns, one of the more daunting elements of outdoor theater is that the entire set must be transported in and out of the park each night. The whole process takes about an hour.

“Set up and strike is a production in and of itself,” said Isser. Everything is choreographed right down to the rain strike plan. “If it starts to rain we can strike the entire set in 10 minutes.”

This year, Redfeather obtained a grant from the Marshall Memorial Fund at Holy Cross. The fund is dedicated to supporting projects aimed at enhancing the quality of life in Worcester and building closer ties between the College and the Community. Isser explained that the grant will help purchase tickets for members of the community who can not afford to buy them.

Isser and Smith have a shared enthusiasm for the future of Redfeather. While Isser sees Redfeather as way to bring Holy Cross more into the Worcester Community, Smith is committed to building a company that is a true apprenticeship program for developing actors.

“There is no better experience than being on stage with your students,” said Smith.
One thing is clear; the Redfeather — Holy Cross connection has resulted in the birth of a wonderful new summer tradition in the City of Worcester.