Teeth and theatre are two areas of study that most people don't associate together. For Chelsea Mayer, balancing both passions has been an exciting and fulfilling experience.

Mayer, a third year dental student, is currently performing in the Boulevard Theatre's production of the Shakespearean comedy "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Although her main focus will always be on becoming a dentist, Mayer said she is grateful for the opportunity to be on stage again.

"I thought I would never get to do theatre again," Mayer said. A pre-dental scholar, she majored in biology and minored in theatre during her undergraduate years at Marquette. She was active in the Marquette Players Society (MUPS) and performed in many student and MUPS shows, as well as in the main stage production of "Children's Hour" her junior year.

After entering dental school, she was encouraged by a Marquette alum working at the Boulevard Theatre, 2252 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., to audition for a role. She landed a part in last year's production of "The Mandrake" and has now returned for her second show at the theatre. She plays four fairies and a waitress in what the theatre is calling "a battle of the sexes set in Texas."

"The concept is that the play is set in Athens, Texas, instead of Athens, Greece," Mayer said. "It brings lofty Shakespearean language into gritty, trashy language. It makes it relatable, and hearing Shakespeare in Texan is so much fun. It's neat that something from the 1600s could be so funny today."

Balancing dentistry with theatre has been a challenge that Mayer said she was prepared for.

"Both are really huge time commitments," said Mayer. "We have rehearsal from 7 to 10 p.m. every night, and I have school all day. I pretty much had to plan everything down to the minute." Having one of the smaller roles in the production has made the balance achievable. "If I had any larger of a role, it would probably be too much."

A variety in age and theatre background created a very diverse cast that Mayer cited as being the best part of the experience.

"There is a big range of actors in this production: there are some people who haven't acted in 10 years and some who are coming off the last production at the Boulevard," said Mayer. "They are all hilarious and a lot of fun to be around."

Mayer said that the open-minded nature of artistic director Mark Bucher has also contributed to the diversity of the cast.

"Mark Bucher has a really good eye for people," Mayer said. "People who never thought they could do theatre find themselves going far at the Boulevard. Mark's eyes are always open; he's very perceptive."

Support for theatre is always important, said Mayer, and she encouraged students to check out the performance even if they are wary of Shakespearean productions.

"People think Shakespeare is hard, but this production is very understandable," Mayer said. "It's a good time to sit through: You get a good dose of fun and of Shakespeare."