A Midsummer Theatre Company

Hello! My name is Phyllis Ryan. I'm the founder of A Midsummer Theatre Company. I will be directing this summer’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I'm so excited to get to know you and your family!

I fell in love with Shakespeare nearly 30 years ago in a small-town Wisconsin church that had been transformed into a theatre. I can still remember sitting on the sticky basement floor, learning to scan Shakespeare’s lines into iambic pentameter and feeling completely transported. Those magical summer afternoons sparked a passion that has guided my life ever since — I cannot wait to share that same magic with your children.

I've been teaching with Chicago Public Schools for the past 20 years. I teach Shakespeare in the classroom and help students bring his words to life on stage. As the founder of my school’s drama department, I have built a program dedicated to rigorous training, meaningful storytelling, and creating performance opportunities that empower young artists. Watching students discover that they can understand, own, and perform Shakespeare with confidence is one of the greatest joys of my career.

At A Midsummer Theatre Company, our goal is to bring theatre alive and empower young artists to find their voices. We focus not only on performance, but on collaboration, discipline, and the joy of storytelling. My hope is that each student leaves our program not only as a stronger actor, but as a more confident and courageous young person.

I am truly honored to share this summer with your family and cannot wait to begin this adventure together.