Special to The Leader

The month will see more than two dozen Port Townsend students show off their dramatic talents, through a five-night presentation of William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds.

Director Marc Weinblatt guided 26 students in the OCEAN K-12 Family Partnership Program through a three-month theater experience, starting in early January.

“‘The experience’ means all the time leading up to the actual production,” said producer Danny McEnerney. “Friends are made, community is created, confidence is boosted, and Shakespearean quotes begin to be thrown around to parents and friends. It’s truly something these kids won’t forget.”

McEnerney touted drama education as being “known to increase confidence, community, positive educational outcomes” and other benefits of learning through arts and live theater.

Weinblatt was tapped by OCEAN K-12 to coordinate this special production, which is set on the remote coast of Ireland. The show features a live Irish Session band of students and adults, under the direction of Kristin Smith, as well as Irish Fae puppets designed by Thaddeus Jurczynski and Celia Fulton-Walden, and costumes by Libby Wennstrom. The production also features dynamic environmental staging, with scenes peppered throughout the audience.

OCEAN K-12 is an independent-study alternative learning experience program for students in grades K-12, that’s supported with classroom, experiential and expeditionary experiences, and connections with families and the community.

The performances of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” are scheduled for March 14, 17, 22, 23, and 24, with tickets available by donation at the door. Further details are available at ocean.ptschools.org online.