It must be the Fourth of July. I woke up craving a hotdog - and so had two - for breakfast! What the heck! With lots of mustard, ketchup, relish and potato chips! I like to get those early starts!
Its not often that I, or most actors and directors, work on Shakespeare's material. And even as a spectator there are not that many chances to see the work really around here. But there are some upcoming opportunities to take advantage of. I am one of those spectators who likes to "prepare." That means if the production is Shakespeare or something comparable, I will read and read about the play in advance. Do some talking, all that.
The Rogue Theatre will be doing Othello. Cindy will be directing. Likely Joe will be playing Iago. Maybe Patty as Desdemona. The burning question is who will be playing Othello. About three years ago I saw the Othello that Tucson Parks and Rec did at the Reid Park Bandshell. Whoever that Othello was was excellent, first rate. Not just good but charismatic and innovative. I have not seen that actor since nor had I seen him before. I hope he, or someone very much like him, appears out of nowhere again for this production. And given the way Cindy and co. do props and costumes, I can't wait to see the handkerchief! Have to wait for April for this one. I will write more on it as the months go by. There are a lot of interesting facts and tidbits around it - the original story that Shakespeare borrowed from, the events of the Cypress wars, famous actors and past productions, etc.
El Rio Theatre Project will be doing The Comedy of Errors in October at Himmel Park. I love that little amphitheatre there at "Hippie Hill." And all the activity that goes on around there in the park, the soccer matches or baseball games, the playgrounds, the dog walking, tennis courts, etc, not to mention the naughty things the park itself is famous for. The play itself I am not enamored with. In fact, all of Shakespeare's comedies I have a difficult time with. But...I have set as one of my tasks this year (futile though it yet seems to me), to reacquaint myself with these plays, these comedies, to re imagine them. And so I have as aids, this production as well as A Midsummer Nights Dream at Pima Community College in April. Pray for my revelation.
The Etcetra Series ("late night") at Live Theatre Workshop is going to do Antony and Cleopatra.
I don't know what to expect or think about this. There is a certain youthful daring in that Series that is akin to our long lost a.k.a. theatre. It freely mixes a coming of age sexuality with political and social themes. We could be in for an Egyptian drag show or we could be in for a knock 'em dead theatrical experience of rare brilliance. We shall see.
On a smaller scale (not a production), I get to sit in with Patrick and one of his summer Honors classes at the UA to discuss King Lear. If you know Patrick, you know this will not be a vague intellectual exercise but rather a serious critical evalutation of the work set within some certain but unexpected context and format that I am sure Patrick is busy conjuring up.
As an actor, or really more as a director or teacher, I have a "work demonstration" piece which is two back to back monologues from Hamlet. It is Claudius' "oh my offense is rank" followed just as it is in the play by Hamlet's "now might I do it pat." This material is designed for and presented not as performance but as a way of showing how things are formulated and how they progress. How the language and ideas are combined with physical improvisation. How the work is personalized in detail. It was developed a couple of years ago in Actor's Gymansium with the Ubi Sunt group.
Thats the Shakespearian agenda as it is shaping up for now.
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