The Winter's Tale - This Thursday Night ONLY!

This Thursday's performance of The Winter's Tale will feature seasoned actors, English teachers, novice performers, and everything in between. In a mere 3 hours, this motley group will conduct its one and only rehearsal, and immediately following that frenzied process, the show will begin.

And, believe it or not, that's how Shakespeare's original performances happened, more or less. The actors would get together with their own lines and cues memorized, and have an incredibly brief rehearsal. Then, they'd perform the show. There was no director. There were no designers. There were only the actors, the space, and the audience. That's the way we like it!

Now, in case you didn't know, The Winter's Tale is one of Shakespeare's "Romances," which essentially means there's at least one shipwreck, a plot spanning decades, and a very "deus ex machina" ending. You may recognize those plot devices from The Tempest, another of Shakespeare's so-called Romances. These plays were particularly popular duing the Jacobean era, and are known for thier perplexing mixture of deep psychological drama and light slapstick comedy. They also reflect the burgeoning popularity of the masque, and often contain elements of magic and redemption. So, look for that stuff.

Also, you should know that the Grassroots Shakespeare Company began in May 2009, and is funded solely by donations. If you like what you see, please consider making a contribution.

We'll see you on Thursday, July 16th, 9pm at SCERA park in Orem, for our One-Night-Only performance of The Winter's Tale!

The Winter's Tale: A Midsummer Workshop!

Thaaaaat's right, ladies and gents, we're doing it again. Next Thursday, July 16th, the Grassroots Shakespeare Company is performing a one-night-only showing of The Winter's Tale, and you're invited to participate!

Try your hand at original practices, and be a part of the fastest and funniest rendition of The Winter's Tale since 1611!

HOW TO GET INVOLVED:

1) If you'd like to participate, email grassrootsshakespeare@gmail.com immediately. If the workshop fills before you sign up, you are invited to come observe the process, but you might not be on stage.

2) If you sign up and pledge a $5 dollar contribution before Saturday July 11th, you'll receive your very own cue script, taken from a particular scene in The Winter's Tale. Memorize it. I can't stress this enough. In order for original practices to work, you've got to be memorized before our first and only rehearsal.

3) Arrive at Scera Park at 6:00pm SHARP on Thursday July 16th, memorized and wearing whatever costume you'd like. You'll then participate in the most invigorating and collaborative rehearsal ever. With the others in your scene, you'll figure out your relationships, your place in the play, your blocking, and everything else about your performance. It's fun, fast-paced, and so 400 years ago!

4) At 9:00pm, we will run the entire 1-hour show, from beginning to end. Your scene will fall somewhere in there, so you'll need to be listening for your cue line!

5) Casting is gender-blind, just as it was in Shakespeare's day (because only men were allowed to perform), and you are encouraged to invite friends/family/lovers/bosses to come see your show!

SPREAD THE WORD. SPREAD THE LOVE. SPREAD THE GRASSROOTS.