Shakespeare for the 21st Century

I have long been a fan of the works of Shakespeare. I was one of those annoying students who didn’t groan when we had to read “Macbeth” or “Hamlet” in school. One of the high points of my junior year of high school was a class trip to the American Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford, Conn., to see a production of Richard Burton’s “Hamlet.”
Burton’s interpretation was a far cry from the usual stage productions of the bard’s works, with a minimal cast in street clothes, skimpy scenery, and actors who delivered their lines in much the same way we ordinary people talk, albeit with some words we don’t normally use. Nobody could mutter quite the way Burton did. I remember him being all in black, everyday sort of clothes, not the puffy sleeves and tights we associate with Shakespeare on stage. Once he started speaking, however, the costuming and scenery, or lack of it, was totally irrelevant. He was truly mesmerizing.
Now I find myself a far cry from that stage, anticipating another one of Shakespeare’s opuses here at the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC) in Cape May. This summer, we’re bringing Shakespeare to the outdoor stage on the grounds of the Physick Estate on Washington Street. But, just as Shakespeare was no ordinary writer in his day, neither is the upcoming production of “Comedy of Errors,” produced by MAC’s partner in this endeavor, the REV Theatre Company.
Over the past few months, we’ve been working closely with Ken Bingham, producing director for the event, who generally talks like he’s just finished his fourth cup of espresso. His enthusiasm for bringing this show to Cape May can’t help but be catching.
In my role as keeper of MAC’s website, I’ve had to gather information and photos and I’m pretty sure this production is going to show a side of Shakespeare most of us have never met. One of the photos was of an actor portraying Puck, from a “Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
From the top of his shiny, white newsboy hat to the sparkly white body suit, something the latter-day Elvis would have proudly worn, he was a marvel. Oh, I almost forgot the sparkly white wings. I’m kind of sorry I’m not going to get to meet him.
Bingham uses words like “zany” and “madcap” to define the production of Comedy of Errors. As a matter of fact, the description is so delightful, it’s worth repeating here:
“Take two pairs of identical twins, a jealous wife and her love-struck sister, a greedy merchant, a father whose head will be chopped off at sunset, a dim-witted courtesan, a stolen necklace, one angry nun, a greasy kitchen wench and an exorcist. Add in Shakespeare’s brilliant, sparkling language, spiced up with musical surprises, and the result is a concoction of delightful lunacy and farcical delirium.”
To make it even more of a fun, family event, preceding the 6 p.m. production July 14-18 and 21-25, will be a free “Elizabethan Faire” starting at 4:30 p.m. This is a traditional event, featuring comedy, music, dancing, performers and even an appearance by the King and Queen. Well, traditional in the REV Theater mode. I can’t wait to see this, too.
So, bring the whole family, as well as your lawn chairs or a blanket (and don’t forget the bug spray) and park yourself on the lawn and be prepared to laugh. A lot. Somewhere, I’m sure, William Shakespeare — and Richard Burton — will be looking down and saying, “Why didn’t I think of that?”
– Barraclough is the publications/website director at MAC