Camp Shakespeare

This may seem like an advertisement, like I'm being paid to say such glowing things. But I assure you I've got nothing at stake here. This is pure love!

I've just returned from a week-long, ultra-intensive and very fun week of Camp Shakespeare at the Tony Award winning Utah Shakespearean Festival, and words, words, words can hardly describe the experience. I feel like I've just woken up form a strange dream--a dream that an Elizabethan English playhouse had been magically transported to the red sandstone mountains of Southern Utah, that Shakespeare fans and students of all ages were now traveling to Utah in droves to see stellar performances of the bard's plays, that actors and audience members alike were partying after hours in cabarets, that world renowned scholars and directors and stage designers were drawn inexplicably to Cedar City to create some of the best Shakespearean theater in the world ...

(Slide show photos by Gary Enns, Gary Graupman, and Michael Flachmann)

If you have never been to the Utah Shakespearean Festival, then you are in for a shock. There is not much that seems regional about this regional theater. For forty-six years, Fred Adams and USF supporters have been building this festival into something spectacular. The festival grounds now boast three stages, indoor and outdoor lecture spaces, concessions, and a center with bookstore and gift shop. The USF produces nine--yes, nine--plays per year. Needless to say, Southern Utah is now a magnet for professional actors, directors, and other drama professionals. For its excellence, in 2000, The USF achieved international attention when it won a Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theater of the Year.

The Adams Memorial Theatre is the crown jewel at the USF. An open-air theater designed in the spirit of Shakespeare's Globe, it's the space of choice for traditional period productions of the plays of Shakespeare and his contemporaries. For musicals, contemporary plays, and non-traditional productions of Shakespeare, the USF utilizes the beautifully gilded indoor Randall L. Jones Theatre.

For anyone even remotely curious about the Shakespeare and the theater, Camp Shakespeare is a fantastic introduction. In five intense days, you see six plays (three of Shakespeare's and three by other playwrights and/or composers), attend seminars and classes and workshops on all things theater, and eat extremely well in SUU's beautiful and elegant Great Hall. Lodging and all meals are included. World renowned Shakespeare scholar and official festival dramaturg Michael Flachmann heads up the camp, wearing several hats--host, teacher, party coordinator, and general fun guy. And if you are a student, valuable university undergraduate and graduate credit is available through SUU and CSUB.

The 2008 Summer season that I just attended includes The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Othello, The Taming of the Shrew, Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac, Moliere's The School for Wives, and Bock, Harnick, and Stein's popular musical Fiddler on the Roof. The highlight for me was Rostand's play directed by David Ivers. The chemistry between leads Brian Vaughn and Melinda Pfunstein was first rate and brought great pathos to this melodramatic play.

For more information on Camp Shakespeare options (including Mini CS and CS for Seniors), visit Camp Shakespeare Online. Hopefully I'll see you in Utah for Summer 2009!

Review of Romeo and Juliet at A Noise Within

The Children of an Idle Brain
A Review of Romeo and Juliet at A Noise Within

234 S. Brand Blvd., Glendale, CA. 91204
Date: 25 March 2007

The theatre A Noise Within may not seem like a grand structure among the neighboring shopping malls, office buildings, and restaurants. However, this old Masonic temple holds more grandeur within its near century old walls than does its contemporary neighbors. It is in this aging temple/teenage theatre that a nearly full house awaits on pins and needles to partake of the story of star-crossed lovers, blood feuds, and death that is Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

Director Michael Murray does an awe-inspiring job conveying the comedy, romance, and tragedy of this Shakespearean classic, with the help of a cast of very talented actors of course. All of the actors in Murray’s production of Romeo and Juliet do a splendid job with their character/characters, but there are two players that—in this reviewer’s opinion—steal the show.

J. Todd Adams’ portrayal of Romeo’s fearless, garrulous friend Mercutio is one of the outstanding performances that stole the show, and audience attention—despite his minute break of character when a bulb blew in one of the overhead spotlights. For instance, Adams’ energy and conviction when delivering Mercutio’s throaty Queen Mab oration is unabashedly mind blowing—proving that we all suffer from “the children of an idle brain” (1.4.97). Also, when Mercutio is slain by Ken Merckx’s fiery Tybalt; Adams’ raging sincerity—“A plague o’ both your houses” (3.1.90)!—brought forth tears to some of the audience members eyes—including mine own. Not to mention, that after Mercutio’s tragic death Adams sprung into action with a fire extinguisher when a couch fire broke out in the alley behind the theatre. A fact none of the audience was privy to until after the show was over.

The other scene thief in Murray’s production is the bawdy Nurse, played brilliantly by accomplished actress Deborah Strang. Strang’s portrayal of Juliet’s robust and bawdy nurse commanded the audience’s attention and at times laughter in every scene that dared to contain her—which is quite often. For instance, the point in act two scene four when Adams’ Mercutio playfully accosts Strang’s Nurse left the whole audience in stitches. Most notably when the Nurse beats Michael Thompson’s Peter with her handbag for letting Mercutio use the Nurse “at his pleasure” (2.4.153)—hilarious!

Murray’s production of Romeo and Juliet—Murray has set scene in 1930’s Italy with Tybalt as a Nazi SS officer—is a robust display of gut wrenching comedy and melancholy tragedy. The fight scenes—choreographed by Ken Merckx—are breathtakingly daring. Most notably the initial fray that begins the play, which finds the small stage filled to the brim with action. The first half is exciting, energetic, and comical; while the tragic second half is rightly slower than the hilarious first half of the play. The continued great performance of Mark Bramhall as Friar Laurence is a definite high point of the play’s second half. Although I wasn’t overly impressed with Steve Coombs’ Romeo—Coombs flubbed a couple lines—or Joy Osmanski’s Juliet, the five hour round trip and fourteen dollar admission fee are well worth the experience of seeing a live production of a Shakespeare classic.

Overall, Murray’s production of Romeo and Juliet is a joy to behold, with the modest stage used to its fullest potential and 1930’s costumes—courtesy of Denitsa Bliznakova—are lavish, especially those worn during the masque. A Noise Within will be featuring Murray’s production of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet from March 24 thru May 25. So, grab a friend, loved one, classmate, stranger, or just lone wolf it and go have an awesome theatre experience at A Noise Within, you will not be disappointed.

Work Cited

Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. The Complete Works of Shakespeare: Shakespeare’s Tragedies, 5th Edition. Ed. David Bevington. New York, NY: Pearson/Longman, 2007. 1009-1050.

Romeo and Juliet at A Noise Within

Sunday, March 25, my English 235 Shakespeare class and I took a big white van down south to Glendale to see Romeo and Juliet at A Noise Within. For many of my students, this was a first time experience with live Shakespeare (for some, live drama altogether), and so this was a particularly special event.

A Noise Within is located in an old converted Masonic Temple Building in downtown Glendale and is the only theater company in Southern California working in the repertory tradition. The company produces six plays annually and has won numerous awards including twenty-five (yes, twenty-five!) Los Angeles Drama Critics’ Circle awards. Not surprisingly, their production of Romeo and Juliet, lived up to their pedigree.

Please check back here in the near future for student reviews of the performance.