Tech Reflection: Shakespeare Ensemble 1982 and 2001

Founded in 1974, the MIT Shakespeare Ensemble is marking its 50th anniversary this year. As the group prepares to celebrate with a reunion and “scene night” performance on campus on September 14, ensemble alumnus Geoff Pingree ’82 reflected on his experience with the group. 

Geoff Pingree ’82: “The MIT Shakespeare Ensemble was a special part of my MIT experience, introducing me to an author I have spent the rest of my life studying. I am honored to be serving on the MIT Shakespeare Ensemble Reunion Committee, and I look forward to all of the planned performances.

“Looking back at my own experience, I wanted to share these two Shakespeare Ensemble pictures, which show me in productions of Shakespeare’s As You Like It that took place 20 years apart.

“The photo on the left is from April 1982, when I was an undergraduate. I am on the right playing Adam, the faithful servant of Orlando (played by Dan Allen ’83). The pair is on the lam in the Forest of Arden and Adam, exhausted, lies down on the ground and says: ‘Here lie I down and measure out my grave.’ I remember this played for great laughs from the audience.

“The photo at right is from 2001, when I was an alum. I am on the left playing Touchstone the clown; the goatherd, who is the love of my life (for the moment), is being played by Brandy Evans ’01, ’02.

“The story behind that 2001 production really shows what I think is so special about the Shakespeare Ensemble: the ‘ensemble’ spirit extends not only through the group on campus but also to former members. What happened was that there was a reunion of Shakespeare Ensemble alumni, and several current ensemble members joined us at dinner. They then made an announcement that they needed a director for their upcoming show and asked if any of the alums would be willing to step up. Tom Garvey ’82 (who currently works at MIT’s Picower Institute for Learning and Memory) bravely took on the job. He cast several alumni along with the members of that year’s ensemble and it was a lovely—and lively—production. A wonderful time was had by all!

“Looking back on my time at MIT, I am grateful to have received an excellent education in two different fields, gaining lessons that I have taken with me throughout my life. The fields were the sport of fencing and the theater of Shakespeare! Over the years, I have continued to do theater, and I have even been lucky enough to be in several additional productions of As You Like It. It’s one of my favorite plays!”

Geoff Pingree has an SB from MIT in political science and a master’s degree in architecture from Harvard. He is an adjunct professor of architecture and a fencing coach at Wentworth Institute of Technology.

Photo illustration by Gretchen Neff Lambert; images courtesy of MIT Shakespeare Ensemble.

Tech Reflection is a Slice of MIT series that tells the first-person stories behind MIT photos. Read more reminiscences of campus life.