Bruce Barton

Hamlet
Written by William Shakespeare
Conceived & Directed by George K. Wells
Produced by Hudson Warehouse in association with Susane Lee

Nomination: Bruce Barton - Outstanding Actor in a Featured Role

About Hudson Warehouse
Hudson Warehouse's mission is to provide quality, exciting, innovative, and affordable classical theater to the community. Those unable to pay are still welcome. The Warehouse believes theater is a "ware" and essential for daily life. To this end, through our partnership with Goddard Riverside, the New York City's Department of Parks and Recreation, and the New York City Department of Corrections, our audience is a vast community of people who wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity to experience quality live theater. Hudson Warehouse believes everyone deserves to have the theater experience, because theater is so essential to what makes us human.

Photos by Susane Lee

About Hamlet
An adaptation of Hamlet conceived and directed by Hudson Warehouse Associate Artistic Director George K. Wells. Wells also appeared in the title role. Wells devised the gravedigger scene, originally written as a two character scene, essentially as a monologue for the gravedigger (played by Bruce Barton,) who has assorted skulls in his graveyard. These skulls do respond to him, but purely in his head.

What first attracted you to this version of Hamlet?

Bruce: I'm one of the Artists in Residence with Hudson Warehouse, so any chance to appear in one of their summer season productions is an experience I know I'm going to enjoy, as the productions invariably are cast with those who I've enjoyed working with in the company previously and newcomers bringing their own new energy to the group. With Hamlet I knew many of the cast going in. And Hudson Warehouse does classical theater so I always know going in that the material will be great.

Susane: George Wells’s adaptation was inspired. He explored Hamlet’s motives and relationships, with Ophelia and Horatio in particular, in a truly innovative way. His staging of Hamlet’s soliloquies, the most famous as a dialogue between Ophelia and Hamlet, was gripping and brought a much deeper layer to their relationship. And the emotional, passionate relationship between Hamlet and Horatio made so much sense within the text. And added another layer to the emotional heartbreak in the story.

What was your favorite part of working on this production? 

Bruce: Getting to be in Hamlet, for one. And getting to play two contrasting roles is always fun.

Susane: Watching the production evolve through the rehearsal process. Wells’ Hamlet was so raw and invigorating. I have seen many productions of Hamlet in my life, but his adaptation was the most innovative and really grabbed me. We had a terrific cast and production team that fully embraced this adaptation and the audience response was so gratifying because it was such an innovative adaptation.

What was the most challenging aspect of this experience for you? 


Bruce: Well, doing something, anything in Hamlet is challenging because you have the challenge of honoring the material and also finding a way to put your own take on the role while staying true the particular production you're in.

Susane: There were several technical elements including sound cues throughout the production. It was essential that the sound and music cues move in and out of the dialogue. Getting these two elements aligned was a challenge. It was a thrill when it all came together.





What did you want the audience to walk away with after watching this production?

Susane: A deeper sense of Hamlet’s struggle and all the emotional turmoil brought on by the loss of a parent, only elevated by the message from ghost of his father. It was so gratifying when parents told us afterwards that their children wanted to immediately go to Barnes and Noble and purchase the book!

What is the best thing about working with this company of artists?

Bruce: Being an Artist in Residence with a company whose work you respect means you have a home. A place where people whose artistic vision you respect provide an environment where you can work on great material with talented people and can feel safe to take chances and be supported. Hudson Warehouse has provided me with that so the experiences are both challenging and fun.

Susane: Bruce Barton has been an actor in New York City for the past 35 years and been an Artist in Residence of Hudson Warehouse for the past 7 years. He is an incredibly humble and modest man. This nomination really honors a man who really deserves to be recognized. He is a strong and versatile actor, someone who is memorable in all his roles, a beloved member of our company, and we couldn't be more proud or happier for him.

What was the funniest part of this production?

Susane: Bruce Barton’s gravedigger was hilarious, incredibly quirky, and conceptually inspired. Bruce has great comedic timing and delivery and gave us a gravedigger no one had seen before -- and blew everyone away!

What does receiving this nomination mean to you?

Bruce: It's very special to be nominated by audience members who've seen the show and don't necessarily know you personally but have enjoyed/appreciated your work. It's also meaningful because it reflects well on the company. Since all performances are the product of the ensemble effort, it's a tribute to the whole company's work, so as an Artist in Residence with Hudson Warehouse I'm glad to reflect that.

Susane: Independent Theater in New York is entirely motivated by the love of the work. The desperate need to get an idea, a vision and a story out there. To have our Bruce Barton nominated is so satisfying after all the energy that goes into creating Off-Off-Broadway theater. We are so proud of this recognition because outdoor theater is definitely a labor of love. It is so hard to put up a full fledged production, outdoors, only to take it down after each show. We do this for 48 shows over the summer, for three very different shows, over three months. It's so much work to put up and take down a show every night, not counting the heat and elements. But we do it because theater matters and we work incredibly hard to make our outdoor theater experience exciting and memorable for our audience. It is such an honor to be recognized by the NYIT Awards. We are thrilled and grateful.

The Tempest

Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Beth Ann Hopkins
Produced by Smith Street Stage

Nominations: Outstanding Revival of a Play; Outstanding Original Music, Clara Strauch; Outstanding Ensemble: Raquel Chavez, Shannon Condon, Kate Eastman, Shaun Bennet Fauntleroy, John Hardin, Patrick Harvey, Brian Demar Jones, Joe Jung, Peter Molesworth, Catherine Mullins, Andrew L. Ricci, Sam Richardson, Nora Rickey, Kate Ross, Will Sarratt, Caroline Smith, JT Stocks, Corey Whelihan


 
About the Production: A revival of the classic Shakespearean play that mirrors the company's commitment to telling classic stories in exciting and imaginative ways.

The team behind The Tempest discusses their journey and process with this classic work.
 
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What attracted you to this project?

Caroline: The wonderful group that is Smith Street Stage

Catherine: The incredible director and artistic team.

Clara: The Tempest is probably my favorite Shakespeare play. I have a weakness for ethereal spirits, tragicomedy, magic, romance, and obviously music. I also love Smith Street Stage's work, and have previously been a part of their "Christmas Carol." When Beth Ann asked if I wanted to compose the music for The Tempest, I was honored and psyched!

Joe: I've been a fan of Smith Street Stage for a long time. Any chance to work with them would be thoroughly worthwhile.

John: Word of mouth praise for the company.

Kate: Smith Street Stage is an amazing company doing inventive, top caliber work. And the role of Prospero was a dream come true!

Patrick: I've loved working with Smith Street Stage since 2011, and the role of Caliban in The Tempest has long been a dream role of mine.

Peter: Smith Street Stage is a company made up of wonderful people. They are interested in the work and have serious grit and integrity. The park we performed in was also a real bonus.

Raquel: Free & accessible opportunity for audiences of all ages to connect with Shakespeare in their neighborhood -- what a fantastically enriching gift for any community.

Shannon: The company, Smith Street Stage, has a great reputation.

Shaun: I have great respect for the company and I love working on Shakespeare.

What was your favorite part of working on this production?

Caroline: The incredible cast and the amazing, imaginative direction that Beth Ann Hopkins brought to the production

Catherine: The cast! We became a true team and works so well together.

Clara: Composing the music and soundscape was such a joy. Since I'm also an actor (NYU Tisch), a natural first step was to do my usual work on the play as if the music was my character. But then I found myself creating and acting out whichever character sang each song, and that's how the melodies were born. So my little secret is that in this creative process I got to play Prospero, Caliban, Ariel, and all the others. I found how I imagined each character's voice, instrument, sound, and theme, and expanded from there.

And then it was incredible to work with Beth Ann, the team, all the actors and the band, and to hear each song come alive.

Corey: The outdoor environment felt particularly appropriate for this show. Nothing like doing The Tempest under threat of actual storm clouds!

Joe: There's nothing like performing Shakespeare outside. It's a mystical experience.

John: Getting to perform with such wonderful people.

Kate: The cast and the entire team was just a joy.

Patrick: Working with this cast was a truly unique experience. In particular, my comedic co-stars, Kate Eastman (Stephano) and Will Sarratt (Trinculo) were unforgettable scene partners. We recently got together to reminisce about that time last summer where we just goofed around like drunk idiots in front of audiences of strangers. Yeah, that was fun.

Peter: Speaking with people from the neighborhood. It showed that the company makes an impact and has started a beloved tradition.

Raquel: The rest of the cast made the experience so magical and illuminating -- it was a fantastic reminder of the community-building power of theater, both on the stage and off.

Sam: This was my first time working with professional actors outside of a school environment, and it was wonderful to see everyone's process (and how the work is no different once you're out of school).

Shannon: The cast because it was filled of good hearted, fun people that quickly formed a tight bond.

Shaun: Our director, Beth Ann Hopkins, is clear eyed, imaginative, and generously collaborative, which made the rehearsal room a joy to be in. Smith Street Stage also has a great deal of respect for the work they do and the artists they hire and it showed in how we were treated. Lastly, performing outdoors for a wonderfully supportive community was an unbelievable experience.

What was the most challenging aspect of this production for you?

Caroline: Mastering the puppetry of the "spirit orbs."

Catherine: This was the first production I had done in a park. It took some time to adapt to the wildness and unpredictability of the park and how the affects a performance.

Clara: The weather. Outdoor theatre, you know.

Corey: The outdoor environment. You have to compete with a lot of ambient sound. So many environmental factors are outside of your control and you have to do your best to work around it, while maintaining your focus and the focus of the audience.

Joe: Performing outside - the ice cream trucks, car horns, ambient noise.

John: Getting myself to leave at night! I was having so much fun.

Patrick: I had the personal performative challenge of playing the most physically demanding role of my career on a concrete stage.

Peter: Filling the space with all the existing distractions.

Raquel: Because all Smith Street Stage shows go up in a non-theater space, we sometimes found ourselves competing with sirens, playground-shrieking, and ice cream trucks for control of the soundscape. During a few performances, the big crowd of the audience was so alluring to the ice cream truck drivers that the producers had to persuade them to turn off their music. But in the end, it made our resolve to maintain the audience's attention and sense of wonder that much stronger and creative.

Sam: The outdoor space was very challenging because it was difficult to feel truthful and also be loud enough that I wouldn't have to worry about being heard/seen all the way at the back of the crowd

Shannon: Being outdoors for rehearsals and shows made a lot of the work unpredictable.

Shaun: Working out of doors at the mercy of the elements. Also, since we were in a park we had to project quite a bit more than I was used to. However, the challenges made me a stronger actor.

Did anything unique or memorable happen during production?

Catherine: The cast became a family.

Clara: I wrote all the music over the winter and spring on a little Swedish island in the Baltic Sea, called Gotland.

Joe: It was nothing but a delight. I guess that's an oddity. Most of the times when working on a production, something gets under your skin. SSS allows its actors an open space to explore, experiment, fail, and create. That's incredibly special.

Peter: When we staged Ariel's confrontation of Alonso, Sebastian and Antonio-- I told Beth Ann that I really wanted wings.... so she and Sherry Martinez (our costume designer) made these awesome black wings that moved during the speech that we blocked at the back of the theater on a picnic table.

Shaun: One day, as I was putting on makeup before the show, a sparrow flew into my lap. It scared the living daylights out of me. Our director came in, chased the bird down, and lovingly escorted it out of the dressing room in her cupped hands. I was hugely impressed. It was a Disney moment.

What did you learn from your time working on The Tempest?

Catherine: I learned how to amplify a smaller role and be present even when you are in the background.

Clara: I learned the accordion.

Joe: 6 year olds are great at interpreting Shakespeare!

John: I learned more about how to play a romantic lead -- I had to play simply and be emotionally open. It was a welcome challenge!

Patrick: I'd worked on Shakespeare quite a lot before beginning this process, but I'd never fully appreciated just how playful you can be with his language before beginning rehearsals on the comic scenes in this play.

Shannon: I learned of how taxing it can be working with an ensemble and exactly what it takes to put on a show without the safety or background provided by a university. I was surprised at how hard working the team was and truly had to be to pull it off.

Peter: Dive in first, then think/talk about it... not the other way around.

Contributed by Victoria Fernandes 

Titus

Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Monique Holt
Produced by New York Deaf Theatre

Nominations: Outstanding Original Music: Daniel Steffey; Outstanding Sound Design: Daniel Steffey; Outstanding Lighting Design: Luther Frank, Russ Bockemhuel; Outstanding Innovative Design: Luther Frank, Russ Bockemhuel

About the Company: New York Deaf Theatre (NYTD) is a not‐for‐profit, professional theatre organization that gives Deaf and hard-of-hearing-artists in the New York City area a creative and artistic home where they are the number one priority. We believe in using theatre to break down cultural barriers for the Deaf and provide equal access to all of our artists and audiences, to give them the positive and enriching theatrical experience they deserve. We are a cultural home for the Deaf community to see their own lives and experiences reflected on stage, and we prove that there is a place for Deaf actors, creators, and designers in the vibrant fabric of New York City’s theatre community. 

Our productions vary in degrees of accessibility for our patrons, including language access in ASL and incorporating spoken English or projected subtitles for either language. In providing a variety of language access, we experiment with the level of access a patron might receive so that people of all abilities can understand the experiences of one another.

About the Production: TITUS reimagines Shakespeare’s original work as a whole in a new physical and visual world, needless of spoken English or ASL. A sharp talented cast of eight actors, four Deaf and four Hearing, use non-verbal elements such as Mime, Visual Gesture Communication and Visual Vernacular to tell the story. The unique manipulation of light, shadow, and projections presents all audience with a widely accessible experience of Shakespeare’s first tragedy, through a new visual language.


Artistic Director JW Guido talks about the unique and innovative qualities of his company's production of TITUS.
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What attracted you to this project?

JW: As the Artistic Director, I’m searching for a new way to present a story onstage that gives a FULLY accessible experience for our audience, without the need of interpreters or voice work overlapping with American Sign Language (ASL). As Shakespeare’s work is heavily visual, NYDT chose to experiment with the classic play Titus Andronicus, our goal being to create a visual-experimental theatre work titled TITUS, helmed by Director Monique Holt. It was clear to me of this play’s thematic timely relevance, and for our team, essential to translate the play onstage in a new innovative way, challenging our audiences while providing access, and presenting a less frequently-produced Shakespeare play.


What was your favorite part of working on this production?

JW: Since this was our new, experimental work, it presented big challenges for us to explore and discover a new method of communication, without spoken English and ASL. It required a lot of teamwork. It was really amazing to see all of the cast and crew working together, in this new unique way, to make the production possible.

What was the most challenging part of working on this production?

JW: The whole concept of the production was entirely new. We heavily relied on non-verbal communication and projections/lighting. We were not able to bring all of the technology together until weeks before the opening night, so the cast/crew needed to work together throughout rehearsals to understand the story and how the show would be running. With design elements that included original video content, projection, and even shadow puppetry, this all had to come together quickly in tech!


What was the audiences' reaction to the work?

JW: I wanted audiences to understand how a story can be presented in any type of language, including non-verbal languages! Also, I want them to know that anyone, Deaf or Hearing, can create a story onstage without specifically mentioning or addressing our Deaf culture or common issues about Deaf people. No matter who they are or where they came from, everyone should able to create stories about anything, without changing audiences’ perspective but challenging audiences to see theatre in new ways.

What insight did you gain while working on this production?

JW: As the Artistic Director for NYDT for 5 years, this is our first time to get nominated for our work! This is also the first time NYDT has worked with both designers who are nominated!

Much Ado About Nothing

Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Nicholas Martin-Smith
Produced by Hudson Warehouse


Nominations: Outstanding Revival of a Play; Emily Rose Parman for Outstanding Costume Design

Benedick (Greg Horton), Claudio (George K. Wells), Don Pedro (Paul Singleton), Balthasar (Nate Mattingly) Photo by Susane Lee

About the Company: Hudson Warehouse's mission is to provide quality, exciting, innovative, and affordable classical theater to the community. The Warehouse believes theater is a "ware" and essential for daily life. To this end, the Warehouse doesn't sell tickets, but has a "pay what you can" policy because the arts should be affordable to everyone. Those unable to pay are still welcome because the Warehouse believes everyone deserves to have the theater experience, because theater is so essential to what makes us human.

About the Production: A peace treaty is signed and the war between Prince Pedro and his brother Don John is over. Well-deserved R & R on the estate of Don Leonato brings with it: Friendship, Love, Conspiracy and Betrayal. For “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.”

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What attracted you to this project?

Susane:  Benedick and Beatrice is usually cast with younger actors, but Nicholas Martin-Smith, the director, and I felt the story would be more profound and meaningful if the actors cast in the title roles were older. When you're older and haven't found your match, then love is even more hard-won. Greg Horton and Roxann Kraemer, two very fine actors, were the perfect match for this production. Once they were on board, we knew this production would be special.

What was your favorite part of working on this production?

Susane: Getting to work with Greg Horton and Roxann Kraemer was a special treat. The fact that they are a couple in real life made their chemistry true and sizzling -- and it was also special because this was a play that they had wanted to do for a long time. They came to us with the play, letting us know it was on their bucket list. So to be able to fulfill one of their long-cherished wishes made us at Hudson Warehouse immensely happy.

Emily: Working with our leading actors, Roxann Kraemer and Greg Horton, is always a delight. The late 1930's/early 1940's is a period that is particularly close to my heart.

What was the most challenging part of working on this production?

Emily: Recreating period Military Uniforms on a budget.

What did you hope the audience would take away from this production?

Susane: To appreciate what we do. While we are an outdoor theater production, we hope people can see how much care we take in putting on the biggest, most exciting and engaging show possible. This includes having furniture on the north patio, many props, gorgeous costumes, incredibly talented actors and a dedicated backstage crew. It takes a special kind of person to do outdoor theater and we want our audiences to be WOWED by what we can put out there, in a public park, a production that can rival any indoor production.

Beatrice, played by Roxann Kraemer, Benedick, played by Greg Horton

What was the strangest thing that happened during the production?

Susane: Greg Horton, who played Benedick, eats cake during one scene. We perform outdoors and very quickly, the wildlife in the park was aware that delicious vanilla cake was on the premises. Although we covered his cake onstage, birds still dive bombed the stage during the performance, catching crumbs that fell to the ground. It actually made the scene very amusing and real.

What was it like working with this group of artists?

Susane: Everyone involved in Much Ado About Nothing spent their heart and soul into the production, and it showed. The entire cast and crew was a splendid delight to work with and our audiences were fabulous! Emily, who is our resident costume designer, outdoes herself in every show. From the handsome uniforms, to the women's dresses, to Hero's wedding dress -- the costumes were a treat for the eyes and perfectly set the scene in Italy. A truly rewarding and spectacular experience for all!

 
Emily: Since Costumes are our main design element, I always feel an extraordinary sence of contribution to the final product. On our stage, the costumes truly create the world of the show.

Check out Hudson Warehouse on Twitter & Instageram @HudsonWarehouse


 

Romeo And Juliet

Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by David Marantz
Produced by The Drilling Company

Nominated for: Outstanding Actress in a Featured Role, Anwen Darcy

Photo by Josef Pinlac

About the Production
This outdoor production of Romeo and Juliet was presented in Bryant Park and seen by almost 15,000 people in the summer of 2015. A modern interpretation, the warring families are divided by class and wealth.

Actress Anwen Darcy and Artistic Director Hamilton Clancy talk about presenting this Shakespearian classic as a modern class conflict.

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What attracted you to this project?

Anwen: Taking a well-known role, like Mercutio, and getting to be unapologetic in how fearsome and rambunctious and sexual that character is, and do it as a woman, without sacrifice. That was such an interesting challenge, because there was a fear the audience might respond to it really really badly- and they didn't.

Hamilton: It was our first production on the HBO Stage of Bryant Park and we wanted to be one Shakespeare's most classic and celebrated plays. We had done Hamlet the year before so Romeo and Juliet was the logical choice. Casting a woman in the traditionally male role of Mercutio was the most exciting choice of the production.

What did you want the audience to come away with after watching this production of Romeo & Juliet?

Hamilton: We wanted the audience to discover the Motagues and the Capulets feud as a feud that resonated in today's socioeconomic politics of the the 1% vs the 99%.

Photo by Josef Pinlac

What was the most challenging aspect of this production?

Anwen: The most challenging thing was going up against people's expectations of what Mercutio should be- you get a certain subset of people who see him as the personification of rowdy male behavior, and so to come at that as a woman, and to embrace that facet of his personality without apologizing for being a woman, was a really interesting challenge.

Hamilton: It's very challenging to brave the elements in any out door production.
This one had a different element than we had faced before.
Bryant PArk/HBO stage became very warm on matinee days and we were forced to move the production, for those perormances off the stage and onto the grass. Our audience was right with us as many of them sat to the side in the shade and forced us to literally act closer toward the cooler parts of the park.

What was it like working with Anwen?

Hamilton: Anwen Darcy showed tremendous courage and versatility in embracing the role of Mercutio, customarily played by a man , as a female "bro" friend of Romeo's. The role called for Ms. Darcy discover and overtly sexual character as well as engage in complex fight scenes . Anwen Darcy is awesome because she is simply one of the toughest actress you will ever find.

You can follow Anwen on Twitter - @DarcyFever

A Few Random Shakespeare Thoughts, Part 2

Contributed by Guest Blogger of the week, Neal Freeman

To recap from earlier this week:

-I’m a Shakespeare snob.

I was going to briefly summarize my other points from the previous post, but actually I think that about does it.

Onward.


I complain of free outdoor Shakespeare.

At one point this summer I had (what seemed like) six different friends doing (what seemed like) six different free outdoor Shakespeare productions in (what seemed like) six different parks around New York.

Does it seem like this market is a bit over-saturated?

I understand that outdoor Shakespeare (like short play festivals) is a way for fledgling companies to produce on the cheap. But I wonder how much service they’re doing Shakespeare by making him “accessible” to the strolling and Frisbee-playing masses.

Let’s face it - Shakespeare is a specialized taste, and not one suited to every weekend park-goer who happens to be walking by. And call me a pessimist but I don’t think screaming blank verse at them from the middle of a field is a great way to change their minds.


I love the poetry in The Tempest more than in any other play.

Caliban’s speech about the noises of the isle are my favorite lines in the entire canon.


The notes in the Arden editions are too academic to be consistently helpful to directors.

Every teacher and professor I’ve ever had has talked about how the Arden editions are “the best.” I think what they mean is that they are the best for other teachers and professors. When I’m directing the plays, I don’t care so much for a long discourse on the origins of a particular word or its usage throughout history. I like my notes more to-the-point and less in-the-way.


“‘Tis said they ate each other.”

On the night he is murdered, Duncan’s horses become deranged, break out of their enclosures, and devour each other.

I was teaching Macbeth to high school kids on September 11, 2001 and I remember being particularly struck at the time by this passage describing how an evil act resonates palpably throughout the natural world after it is committed.

Powerful stuff.


I don’t like Romeo and Juliet and never have.

Perhaps it has to do with not being allowed to see Olivia Hussey’s…um…hooha…when I was a high school freshman. (see the intro to Part 1 of this blog for an explanation of that reference)

Actually, it’s that the emotions in this play are way too over the top. I understand the chaos of teenage love and all that, but (for instance) I defy anyone playing Capulet to pull off the scolding of his daughter and the mourning at the funeral without seeming like a complete buffoon. That stuff is COMICAL. It’s called subtlety, Shakespeare. Look into it.

Speaking of Olivia Hussey…


I hate cheap laughs.

As You Like It is a beautiful, wistful play and I refuse to decorate Rosalind and Orlando’s scenes with Laurel and Hardy shtick. I think this is why reviewers have generally hated my approach to the play both times I directed it. They wanted cheap laughs, not the deep-down searching and aching that truly activates it.

In a similar vein, the lovers in Midsummer are not meant to be The Four Stooges. The reason the mechanicals are in the play is because THE LOVERS ARE SERIOUS. Their scenes are funny and are supposed to be, don’t get me wrong, but they must be approached with a real sense of stakes and drama or else we simply don’t care.

True story – I saw two completely unrelated productions of Midsummer (one of them by the RSC on Broadway in the late 90’s which was terrible), where the exact same shtick was used for a particular moment. Lysander and Demetrius, as they are about to walk offstage and fight in the dramatic climax of the play, followed Demetrius’ line “Follow! Nay, I’ll go with thee cheek by jowl” by comically sticking their cheeks together and duck-walking offstage like conjoined twins. Two separate directors thought this was a good idea! The non-Broadway production was a semi-professional one in Baltimore in 1993, a few years before the RSC one, and I guarantee Adrian Noble (director of the RSC production) did not see it. He was just in touch, somehow, with the magical collective unconscious stupidity.


I’m fascinated by the authorship debate.

I don’t think it matters a whit to the understanding of the plays, but I find it a fascinating discussion. One of the books I particularly enjoyed a few years ago when I was nerding it up big time about this topic was Diana Price’s Shakespeare’s Unorthodox Biography.


I never ever call Shakespeare “The Bard.”

I also avoid Bill, Will, Willy, Billy Shakes, Our Will, Sweet Swan, and pretty much anything else that is not SHAKESPEARE or WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE.


Thanks for reading. I told you I was a snob.

-Neal

A Few Random Shakespeare Thoughts

Contributed by Guest Blogger of the week, Neal Freeman

My first experience with Shakespeare was as a freshman in high school watching Zeffirelli’s R&J while Mrs. Dauber covered up Juliet’s naughty bits with index cards. I made my Shakespeare acting debut as a senior 3 years later playing Ferdinand in The Tempest. Since then I count 21 different Shakespeare productions I’ve either acted in or directed.

Along the way I’ve developed a few opinions about how I like to experience Shakespeare as a director, actor, or audience member. I’m kind of a snob about it, actually.

So with that said here are, in no particular order, a few random thoughts on the subject.


Cutting and re-arranging.

I’m a big fan of cutting Shakespeare – I like it at 2:25 or less if possible – but I’ve always felt that tinkering with the order of scenes is somehow playing too closely with the magical fabric that binds the plays together. I won’t do it.

For that matter, I’m all for women playing male roles. But I hate it when pronouns and proper names are changed to make them feminine. Prospera? Please, Julie Taymor. Just leave it alone and trust that we’ll accept it.


We know how it ends.

***Hamlet spoiler alert***

Everybody dies.

You probably knew that.

It was one of the true delights of the movie Shakespeare in Love to see that audience watching Romeo and Juliet for the very first time and vicariously experiencing their shock and surprise at the unfolding story. They didn’t know what was going to happen.

The lifeblood of the theater is the unexpected result. Directing Shakespeare, it’s tempting to accept that there will be no surprise and instead devote your creative brain to wacky and clever ways to get TO the result that everyone obviously knows is coming.

I offer that it’s important as theater practitioners to approach Shakespeare as if our audiences don’t actually know how it’s all going to end up, like we would with any other play. Maybe Hamlet will find a way out of this mess. Maybe the Friar will reach the tomb in time. Of course he doesn’t, and he won’t. But it’s the struggle, the drama of the attempt, that engages us.

I want to give a nod to David Ball in Backwards and Forwards where he talks about a similar thing and cites Claudius as a prime example. Don’t start the play by playing him evil. Let the drama unfold.

By the way, Backwards and Forwards is the best book I know on reading and understanding plays. Read it now.


Be careful with the underscoring.

Putting too much busy underscoring beneath Shakespearean text is like trying to read two poems aloud at the same time. They compete, and the text loses. I’m not against it all together, but it needs a light touch.


I’ll get you Neal Freeman.

There’s a Shakespeare scholar in Canada also named Neal Freeman, spelled exactly like my name, whose existence I found out about after someone once told me how much they liked my folios. Huh?

Distinguishing myself professionally from this other Neal Freeman is the reason I added my middle initial to my name in professional credits, something I otherwise had no interest in doing.

Someday I’ll get the bastard for that.


Guns bad. Swords good.

A professor of mine at Cornell, Bruce Levitt, told us that the reason George Lucas invented the lightsaber is because swordfights are dramatic and gunfights are not. He was using this as an example of why we needed to be extra careful when modernizing a Shakespeare that contains sword-fighting. How are you going to keep the drama in a gunfight? Or else, how are you going to justify the swords if they’re wearing modern clothing?

I’ve seen quality contemporary-dress Shakespeare before (a crystal-clear contemporary setting of “Timon of Athens” at the Shakespeare Theater in DC chief among them), but more often I’ve seen productions ruined by a careless mix of swordplay and modern dress that thwarts whatever attempt at contemporizing the play the company may be exploring.

While I am fully in support of modern-dress Shakespeare if it helps to clarify the play, I also happen to think that if the only way you can think to make Shakespeare feel relevant to today’s audiences is to throw everyone in contemporary clothing, you probably shouldn’t be producing him at all.


That’s enough for today but I’ve got more to say so I’m going to continue this post later in the week. Stay tuned for more snobbery.

-Neal