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| Photo Credit: Phil Varney |
By McKelle George
Orem, UT May 20, 2014:
UVU’s Summer
University, a three day event, is
a chance for faculty and staff to bring their families to explore campus, have
fun, and enjoy Utah Valley’s diverse facilities. A lot of Grassroots
Shakespeare Company members are UVU graduates or students and Grassroots has
formed some great relationships with the theater department there. Christopher
Clark, the keynote speaker and professor of drama, has been a great mentor and
teacher to many of us. His direction of Hale Center Theatre-Orem's production of
As You Like It was a big inspiration
to Grassroots founders Mark Oram and Alex Ungerman. Clark’s interactive address
highlighted his passion and ours: Shakespeare.
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| Photo Credit: Phil Varney |
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| Photo Credit: Phil Varney |
The night before, families were given the option to watch Ender’s Game or Frozen on a big screen. That, in today’s world, equals
entertainment. Tough competition for some dead playwright in the 17th
century, right? Clark asked members of Grassroots to perform scenes and
monologues from a few of Shakespeare’s plays to demonstrate how Shakespeare can
still be relevant and engaging—even to a young and modern audience. Grassroots
Shakespeare Company specializes in performing via “original practice,” which
means the play is experienced in a manner consistent with its creator's
original intent. When all a young troupe can afford is Shakespeare’s original
text, sometimes that’s when the most riveting performances emerge. In an
original practice performance, live sound effects are created by the acting
company, and the accompanying music is performed live. The actors talk directly
to you, the audience, in much the same way Shakespeare and his acting company
would have directly addressed Elizabethan audience members.
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| Photo Credit: Phil Varney |
Whatever else Shakespeare did or did not do, he was—and
is—the people’s playwright. He wrote the whole of the human experience for all
humanity. And that means an audience of a few hundred in 2014—comprised of all
ages—can connect with his words even without all the bells and whistles of an
elaborate stage production. Amber Dodge performed a Paulina monologue from The Winter's Tale, the queen’s greatest
defender and agent in a fairy tale about virtue and forgiveness. Jason Sullivan and Davey Dillard performed
Kate and Petruchio's first scene together from The Taming of the Shrew –an oft considered misogynist comedy that
was hilariously offset and performed by two men, crossdressing just as
Shakespeare’s original company would have, except to more comedic effect in our
day. Dan Anderson performed a Prospero monologue from The Tempest, Shakespeare’s final play and his greatest argument
that the arts are the world’s greatest magic.
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| Photo Credit: Phil Varney |
Overall, the evening was a success. The audience enjoyed the
small performances and got a taste for how engaging and fun Shakepseare can be,
even (or perhaps especially) in a loose and informal way. To experience
Shakespeare in “original practice” in its full glory, check out our current Summer Tour featuring 'As You Like It' and 'Henry V', touring around the state of Utah. Details at www.grassrootsshakespeare.com
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| Photo Credit: Phil Varney |
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