Tamburlaine the Great, Part 1 at the American Shakespeare Center

Techelles:   Tamburlaine, what are we going to do tomorrow night?
Tamburlaine: The same thing we do every night, Techelles.
Techelles:  What is that?
Tamburlaine: Try and take over the world.

That is the basic plot of Christopher Marlowe's sprawling tale of the shepherd outlaw who becomes master of Asia and Africa.  Lands are visited, kings and "soldans" are overthrown.   And a mighty warrior claims dominion over all he sees and wins the love of the fair Egyptian princess he has taken prisoner.

This epic story unfolds upon the Blackfriar's stage.  While one may wish that one had a scorecard to keep track of who is betraying whom, which land is being conquered or just where in the world is Tamburlaine the Great, the accomplished company of actors at the American Shakespeare Center under the capable direction of artistic director, Jim Warren, provide a fairly clear and relatively easy to follow path from the kingdom of Persia to the besieged city of Tamburlaine's father-in-law.

Keeping this wide-ranging story concise is the sure and steady direction of Jim Warren.   He is added by the beautiful Arabian-influenced costumes of Erin M. West which subtly aid the audience in telling the various conquered kings apart.   The fights choreographed by Colleen Kelly are brutal and effective.   And the acting is superb from the lowliest virgin to the poignant and distinctive performances of the many conquered lords, kings and soldans.

John Harrell is delicious as the betraying Cosroe, brother of the King of Persia, played with appropriate bewilderment by Benjamin Curns.  Patrick Midgley is devious as the turncoat Meander.   As the loyal outlaw followers that Tamburlaine makes into kings Miriam Donald and Chris Johnston are fierce charismatic warriors.  Blythe Coons is poignant and, when called upon regally haughty as Tamburlaine's prisoner love, Zenocrate.

Outstanding performances are given by Rene Thornton, Jr. and Allison Glenzer as the conquered Emperor Bajazeth and his empress, Zabina.   Of all his conquests, Bajazeth and Zabina have the most time upon the stage as they are humiliated by Tamburlaine, until, in despair they end their torment.   Ms. Glenzer, in particular is heartbreaking as she embodies Zabina's pathos and grief.   It is a mesmerizing performance.

James Keegan commands the Blackfriar's stage as Tamburlaine.   He is not the stereotyped evil fiend that sometimes can occur in lesser productions, particularly in those versions of the play that truncate both parts of Marlowe's plays into one evening.   Mr. Keegan is convincingly a warrior and a conqueror.  He is merciless to those he conquers yet loving to Zenocrate.   It is a towering acting achievement.

While not as popular a draw as the works of Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe's Tamburlaine the Great is well worth an visit to the Blackfriar's Playhouse.

Tamburlaine the Great is being performed in repertory with Wiliam Shakespeare's The Tempest, Henry V and Hamlet and Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest through November 26, 2011.  For tickets and other performance information please visit www.americanshakespearecenter.com

The Importance of Being Earnest at the American Shakespeare Center

Hilarious comedy.  Ready Wit.   Brisk pacing.   An actual set that needs to be changed during the intermission.   This last aspect is not what one would expect to find on the stage of the Blackfriars' Playhouse in Staunton, Virginia.    How would Oscar Wilde's famed comedy fit the American Shakespeare Center's style without the benefit of a proscenium and, more famously, performed "with the lights on?"  

The answer is triumphantly.   The hallmarks of attending a production by the American Shakespeare Center are intact, whether it be engaging the audience through pointed delivery of Oscar Wilde's jabs at society or the clever use of modern songs before the performance and during the two intermissions to provide modern commentary on the action of the play.   Combined with expert casting and the direction of Artistic Director Jim Warren who has coaxed the fervor and heightened emotions of the characters without taking the comedy too broad and this production of The Importance of Being Earnest is sheer delight.

In brief, this is the story of two bachelor friends, John"Jack" Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff.  Jack has been pretending that his name is Ernest, for the lady he loves Gwendolyn Fairfax has sworn she will only marry someone named Ernest.   Algernon, a bit of a rake, tells Jack about his habit of "Bunburying", which he employs whenever he needs to get out of a boring social engagement.   Jack meets Gwendolyn and her mother, Lady Bracknell, who is exacting about social niceties.   When Lady Bracknell discovers that Jack doesn't know his family background she opposes her daughter's engagement.   Meanwhile, Algernon discovers that Jack has a young ward, Cecily Cardew, living in the country.  He travels to visit her, discovering that she, too, fancies that she is in love with Jack's imagined brother, Ernest.   Algernon masquerades as Ernest.    Everyone travels to Jack's country home where much confusion reigns.   Add in to the mix, Cecily's governess, the romantic Miss Prism and the hapless country rector, Reverend Chasuble and a couple of droll servants and much confusion reigns until everything reaches a mad cap conclusion.

One realizes immediately that this is no musty, reverent production that shies away from the natural comedy that Oscar Wilde wrote so well.    Emotions are worn openly on the beautiful costumes by Jenny McNee. Who knew that the name Ernest could be so erotic?   The three acts of the play speed merrily along under the brisk direction of Jim Warren.   Despite the unified locations, the Blackfriar's tradition of audience interaction is well conceived.   Whether it is  a joke about marriage delivered to a couple in the front row of the theater or using some audience members as part of the scenery this is a wonderfully fun two hours and 20 minutes traffic upon the stage.

As the droll servants, the love-pining Lane and the put-upon Merriman, Gregory Jon Phelps and Patrick Midgley are a hoot.   John Basiulus is fun as the buttoned-up yet bursting with chaste passion Reverend Chasuble.  Allison Glenzer is hilarious as the trying to be stern governess, Miss Prism who struggles to control a romantic streak.  As the two ladies, Gwendolyn and Cecily, Blythe Coons and Miriam Donald complement each other.  Ms. Coon's Gwendolyn is polished with a naughty streak (the name Ernest is erotic thanks to her performance) and Ms. Donald's Cecily is flighty and charming.

As the bachelor friends who create this delightful mess, Rene Thornton, Jr. as Jack is a delectable leading man with a ready wit.  Benjamin Curns as Algernon is devilish, yet totally engaging.  Mr. Curns rapport with the audience is such that they eventually play into Algernon's schemes to fun effect.

As the stern Lady Bracknell, John Harrell is quite the aristocratic lady.   This role has a long history of being played upon the stage, most recently by Brian Bedford on Broadway.   This is no drag performance.  Mr. Harrell is quite convincing as the representative of high society.  His crisp delivery of Lady Bracknell's biting commentary coupled with perfect poise embodies refinement.

The Importance of Being Ernest is well worth a trip to the heart of the Shenandoah Valley in Staunton, Virginia.

The Importance of Being Ernest by Oscar Wilde is being performed in repertory with William Shakespeare's The Tempest, Hamlet and Henry V and Christopher Marlowe's Tamburlaine the Great through November 25, 2011.   For tickets and other performance information, please visit www.americanshakespearecenter.com.

Les Miserables 25th Anniversary Production at the Kennedy Center

Les Miserables is probably the most critically acclaimed musical of the large multi-million dollar productions that were the hallmark of musical theater in the 1980's.   Known for its large cast, complicated set on a then state-of-the-art computerized turntable, and beautiful symphonic score (with electronic flourishes), Les Miserables enjoyed a long run on Broadway that saw it become the third longest running show in Broadway history. Les Miserables continues its original run in London where it opened in 1985.  It has had numerous national tours, international productions, and was famously filmed in concert form for its 25th anniversary at London's O2 Arena.  

Given the immense scale of the original production, Les Miserables has been ripe for re-interpretation.   An acclaimed scaled-down production was performed to critical acclaim at Arlington, Virginia's Signature Theater in 2008.    Yet, for a 25th anniversary National Tour, it seems wise to provide a larger sense of scale and scope, yet find ways to streamline the behemoth production values of the original design of the show.    For that, Cameron Mackintosh Productions turned to directors Laurence Connor and James Powell, who staged this current production at Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey.    Trimming about 40 minutes from the running time and substantially redesigning the sets and lighting, this Les Miserables is a taut production, that does not feel as though anything substantial to the core of the original script has been lost.  Most of what has been cut are superfluous and repetitive portions of the sung-through dialogue.  The result is a brisk pace that does not feel too rushed and a satisfying emotional punch that is worthy of those who have fond memories of the original production.

The new set design by Matt Kinley which is inspired by the paintings of the novel's author, Victor Hugo gives a gritty yet beautiful sense of time and place.   When coupled by the lighting design of Paule Constable this becomes a Les Miserables that emphasizes the living conditions of the poor and working class citizens of France.    Andreane Neofitou's costumes, while complimentary of the original designs due to their need to be period accurate, have some nuances that provide a fresh perspective on the characters.   The score, with new orchestrations by Chris Jahnke and additional orchestrations by Stephen Metcalfe and Stephen Brooker has been reduced from the original 22 musicians to 15, yet under the direction of Robert Bilig they still provide the scope that is needed for this epic tale.

The staging by the directors, Mr. Connor and Mr. Powell is overall very effective.   The use of the projections adds in giving some depth to certain scenes such as the escape through the Paris sewers.   Yet you can tell that the production was designed on a stage with less depth than the Kennedy Center Opera House.   Some of the action feels unnaturally forced forward and there is a bit too much of having the ensemble line up at the front of the stage and dramatically confront the audience.   Once is effective, twice is okay, three or more is boring.

The only other criticism is one of sound levels.  As are all musical productions these days, the actors are miked.  The levels of the sound mix are at times set too high, making it too loud for certain moments in the show.   Also, there are times when lyrics are muddied by poor diction.   And sadly, during one song, the confrontation between Valjean and Javert after Fantine's death, their counterpoint singing is a shouting match, instead of the give and take that allows the audience to understand both mens' arguments.

The casting of the production is top notch.  Not a single role is poorly performed.   Chasten Harmon is gritty and sympathetic as Eponine.   Particularly her death, in the beautiful A Little Fall of Rain gains additional poignancy as it is not sung as a pretty duet, but clearly with the pain and agony of someone dying of gunshot wounds.    Jeremy Hays has the right amount of magnetism as Enjolras, the leader of the students.   Betsy Morgan is heartbreaking as the doomed Fantine.   Richard Vida and Shawna M. Hamic are comic in a macabre way as the Thenardiers.   Jenny Latimer has a beautiful soprano voice and is charmingly earnest as the innocent Cosette desperately in love with young Marius.

As Marius, Justin Scott Brown is a revelation.  His Marius has more emotional depth that the usual idealized student and love interest.   Mr. Brown shows a range showing genuine fervor for his friends' beliefs, despair over the events at the doomed barricade and genuine love for  his  beautiful Cosette.

Andrew Varela is menacing as Javert, the policeman who fervently believes that good and evil are black and white and that one can never change.  Mr. Varela uses his strong baritone during his singing of Stars to provide the character's context for the audience and his devastation during his Soliloquy show emotional complexity   It is a testament to the original authors and to Mr. Varela that what could be the  one-note villain of the show is a complex and conflicted man.

J. Mark McVey joins a long line of gentlemen to tackle the difficult role of Jean Valjean.   It requires a herculean effort to sing this part night after night.   Mr. McVey Valjean is strength and pathos.   Particularly in Bring Him Home he gives a soaring performance that takes the audience on Valjean's journey from paroled prisoner to redeemed sinner.  

The 25th Anniversary Production of Les Miserables will be performed at the Kennedy Center Opera House through October 30, 2011.   For tickets and other performance information please visit www.kennedy-center.org.   For additional information on future performances of this national tour please visit www.lesmis.com/ustour/

Trouble In Mind at Arena Stage

In the 1950's a brilliant young playwright stirred up the theatrical world by creating plays that focused on the prejudices facing the African American community during the smoldering development of the civil rights movement.   Her name?  Not Lorraine Hansberry, who would have the distinction of being the first African American woman to have a play produced on Broadway.   No, this pioneer of the theater is Alice Childress, whose works should be equally well known.    We should be grateful to actress E. Faye Butler and director Irene Lewis for their efforts since 2007 to revive Ms. Childress' 1955 play Trouble in Mind.

Trouble in Mind takes place in the rehearsal hall of a Broadway theater.   Wiletta Mayer (E. Faye Butler) a well known African American actress has bee tapped for a leading role in a drama about the struggle for African Americans to vote.  The cast is integrated and contains two other veteran actors of color, Millie Davis (Starla Benford) and Sheldon Forrester (Thomas Jefferson Byrd). Milly and Wiletta long to break out of the stereotype of playing maids and "mammy" roles.  Sheldon is a bit more accepting of his life's career.   A young white actress, Judy Sears (Gretchen Hall) and a young African American actor, John Nevins (Brandon J. Dirden) are simply thrilled to have a professional acting job.  A white actor with t.v. credits, Bill O'Wray (Daren Kelly) completes the acting ensemble.  The actors are steered in this production by the supposedly enlightened white director, Marty Lodge (Al Manners).   Yet, despite the dreams of starring in a Broadway play with an important subject matter, the company discovers that the play is deeply flawed and contains glaring offensive stereotypes.   They also discover that no matter the director's attempts to be fair and open-minded, the prejudices that he has towards his actors of color will surface.   Will principles be sacrificed for a Broadway credit?  Can the conflicts between the characters ever truly be resolved?

This is a wonderfully complex play that feels as if it were written today, not in 1955.   It contains amazing characters and forces the audience to see the biting truths that lie underneath the many comedic moments in the play.    That the play does not have a patently satisfactory ending reflects the truth that life does not have easily resolved endings.   In fact, the reason that the play never appeared on Broadway in the 1950's stems from Ms. Childress' conflicts with the producers who asked her to re-write the play, at one point including a third act, in the hopes of providing that elusive happy ending.  

What is fresh and modern about this play are the dynamics that play out between the characters.   Wiletta Mayer is established as a well-known actress, yet the director dismisses her objections to certain elements of the play, yet he readily accepts the criticism given by his well-known white leading man.  Millie and Sheldon are more accepting of the stereotyping of the African American characters in the play, acknowledging that they may be tired of playing certain types, but appear accepting of the status quo.   The director, Al Manners, who claims to be enlightened, subtly shows his prejudices, until in the heat of the moment he is forced to admit them.   Wiletta is a cry in the wilderness for calling out the absurdities of what she is being forced to perform and the audience is clearly on her side in wishing that she will triumph.  Yet, as in real life, the denouement is bittersweet and unsatisfactory.

The entire acting company gives outstanding performances.  Brandon J. Dirden gives a fresh performance as the naive young actor being schooled in the ways of the world for African American actors.  Gretchen Hall is equally charming as the equally naive Judy Sears who tries to break down the barriers between herself and the African American actors.   Daren Kelly's Bill O'Wray, while given less time to develop has the right feel for his t.v. star personality.   Garrett Neergaard has great comic timing as Eddie Fenton, the director's put-upon assistant.

As the stage door man Henry, Laurence O'Dwyer brings a warmth to the only character in the play that succeeds in treating everyone equally.   Starla Benford provides support and a foil to Wiletta as Millie Davis.    As the more accepting Sheldon Forrester,  Thomas Jefferson Byrd's lilting qualities provide a charm.  Yet, when Sheldon relates a dark story from his childhood that same soothing lilt draws in the audience.  He is mesmerizing.

As the director Al Manners, Marty Lodge is a forceful presence whether trying to be the enlightened liberal director or delivering the barbs that clearly prove Al is not as unprejudiced as he claims to be.   Al Manners has a theatrical past that colors his behavior and Mr. Lodge navigates this character well while finding the right times to provide sympathy for what is the antagonist of the piece.

E. Faye Butler left the acclaimed revival of Oklahoma! to return to the role of Wiletta Mayer.  She has played the role off and on since 2007.   Ms. Butler is a force on the stage, whether Wiletta is upholding the facade that she is a leading lady of the stage, or fighting to correct the glaring errors in the script by refusing to give in to the stereotypes. Ms. Butler has a full satisfying range of emotions as she desperately articulates Wiletta's anguish and desire to break away from and find a human truth in the script she is not being allowed to help shape.    It is a triumphant performance.

Alice Childress had a long career.  While she is best known for her book from the 1970's A Hero Ain't Nothing But A Sandwich and the film made from it, she deserves a deeper acknowledgement of her long body of work.  May this and subsequent productions of Trouble In Mind give publicity to a pioneer of the theater whose works need a wider audience.

Trouble In Mind will be performed at Arena Stage's Mead Center for American Theater in the Kreeger Theater through October 23, 2011.   For tickets and other performance information please visit www.arenastage.org.

Disney's Newsies: The Musical at Paper Mill Playhouse

In 1992, Walt Disney Pictures released Newsies, a live-action musical film about the newsboys strike of 1899.  It featured a strong score with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Jack Feldman.   The film cost $15 million dollars and flopped, only grossing a little under $3 million.  However, the film gained fans with regular play on the Disney Channel and through home video.   As one of the few films with boys as leads instead of a princess it has grown into a cult classic.  This is despite the fact that the film received a lot of negative reviews and was nominated for several Razzie awards, winning the worst song award for High Times, Hard Times.

Flash forward to 2011, where Paper Mill Playhouse located in Millburn, New Jersey has mounted the world premiere production of Disney's Newsies: The Musical.  The team of Mr. Menkin and Mr. Feldman have expanded their score, retaining most of the popular anthems and discarding a few of the clunkers (so long High Times, Hard Times).  Acclaimed playwright, Harvey Fierstein has written the book, streamlining the original screenplay by Bob Tzudiker and Noni White.  The result is a high energy stage production perfect for the entire family.  While the script could use a few revisions here and there it is a wonderful premiere for a musical that is sure to have many more productions to come.

Disney's Newsies: The Musical takes place in 1899 New York City.  The newsies are the boys who sell the "papes."  Many live on the streets, others work long hours to help their struggling families.  The leader of the newsies is Jack Kelly, a talented artist who dreams of going west for a better life.  His fellow newsies include Crutchie, struggling with a disability, and two new kids, brothers Davey and Les, whose father was fired after being injured in a factory job. When Joseph Pulitzer, publisher of the World desides to raise the price the newsboys must pay for the papers they sell, he convinces William Randolph Hearst and the other publishers to follow suit.  The boys decide to form a union and strike until the price is cut and the publishers agree to buy back any papers the boys can't sell.   Jack meets girl reporter  Katherine Plumber, who dreams of a promotion from writing the society page to the news beat.  Together the newsies and Katherine take on the world in a fight ultimately for the benefit of all of the oppressed child workers of the city. 

The film is deeply beloved by a lot of people who may not like the changes made to some of the characters and to parts of the story.  However, Mr. Fierstein has reshaped the script so that the focus remains on Jack and the newsies strike.  Therefore some elements have been eliminated and other plot points and characters reimagined.  For example, Katherine Plummer, a fictionalized Nellie Bly-type reporter, replaces Denton, the seasoned newsman of the film.  Her character also provides a more satisfying love interest for Jack than the girl in the film.

There are a few moments in the script that need a bit of polishing.  The adult female characters are not well fleshed out.  Medda the vaudeville owner is here, but she has as little relevance to the overall story as she did in the film   Joseph Pulitzer is written as a stronger villain, but he's a bit over the top in his villainy. That is not to say that John Dossett does not give a good performance.  He does, especially with his new song, The News is Getting Better.  It would help if he had a bit of nuance added to his character, particularly with an act two revelation.  That revelation, involving Katherine's background, seems to come out of nowhere and is a bit jarring.  However, later in act two when two young men assist the newsies with printing their own paper and make an amusing revelation of their own then Katherine's revelation makes sense.  Perhaps a few additional hints before the big reveal would make this plot point less jarring.

The other major script change is diminishing the threat of the boy's jail, The Refuge.  Our hero, Jack is still a fugitive from this place and one of the main characters, Crutchie, is arrested and taken there, but since we don't see The Refuge and its cruelty, the threat of it is lessened and the role of Warden Snyder and his comeuppance seems tacked on and doesn't bring the satisfaction that it did in the film.

As for the overall production itself, Disney's Newsies: The Musical is a rousing, high energy show filled with enthusiastic performances and wonderful production values.   The multi-level set, designed by Tobin Ost, reflects the industrial setting, at once liberating in its versatility and oppressive as it can restrict the freedom of the newsboys.  Sven Ortel's projections give context to the story, giving a sense of time and place.  Jess Goldstein's costumes and Charles LaPointe's hair and wig design evoke the turn of the 20th century while providing ease of movement for the vigorous dancing. 

Choreographer Christopher Gattelli has created dances that combine breathtaking athleticism and pure artistry.   In particular the show-stopping tap-tastic King of New York, which opens act two is a highlight.  But, it is the inventive steps of the show's best known anthem, Seize the Day that is the choreographer's triumph.   From the emotional stomps that evoke the newsies angry decision to strike to the newsprint soft shoe to the heart stopping leaps and flips, this is bravura dancing at its best.

Director Jeff Calhoun guides well his young cast.  Ben Fankhauser has a clear strong voice in Seize The Day and grows throughout the performance as the bookish young man who helps shape the strike. His younger brother, Les, played at evening performances by Vincent Agnello, matinees by RJ Fattori, is both feisty and adorable.  Andrew Keenan-Bolger brings to the role of Crutchie a real emotional core,  his crippled boy who dreams of a better life captures the audience's heart and when the character disappears for most of act two following his arrest he is greatly missed.

Kara Lindsay as Katherine is a strong, confident young woman ready to help the newsies take on the establishment.  Her new song, the pattering Watch What Happens is the best of the new songs added to the score.  Ms. Lindsay has a pleasing voice and a spunky attitude that is perfect for her girl reporter.

And then there's our hero, Jack Kelly himself.  Jeremy Jordan is a star in the making.  He is a leading man with an amazing voice who brings alternating layers of confidence and vulnerability.   Mr. Jordan's charisma shines forth every time he is on the stage.  Whether singing of Jack's dream life in Santa Fe or leading the newsies in almost every ensemble piece, Mr. Jordan gives a commanding performance.  Broadway is in for a treat when Mr. Jordan next appears in the new musical Bonnie and Clyde next year.

Disney's Newsies: The Musical is a well conceived first production.  The show is sure to do well once the the amateur and high school rights become available.  Yet, with a little revision Newsies: The Musical has a chance to be a great show.   One hopes that Disney Theatrical Productions considers giving it more chances on the professional level.   This is a show that deserves to find itself on the Great White Way.

Disney's Newsies: The Musical will be performed at Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey through October 16, 2011.  For tickets and other performance information, please visit www.PaperMill.org

Hamlet at the Maryland Renaissance Festival

Revel Grove is an English village set amidst 25 acres of beautiful woods.   As you wander about the village you might encounter a madrigal choir serenading you with a tune written by King Henry VIII.   Above you an acrobat contorts perilously from silks and rings to the applause from the audience below.   A crowd claps and sings along to rousing piratical tunes at the White Hart Tavern.  Johnny Fox demonstrates the art of sword swallowing at the Royal Stage.   And from a replica of an outdoor Elizabethan theater comes these familiar lines, “Speake the Speech, I pray you, as I pronounc’d it to you trippingly on the Tongue: But if you mouth it, as many of your Players do, I had live the Town-Cryer spoke my lines: . .”

Welcome to the Maryland Renaissance Festival. Located in Crownsville, Maryland just outside the state capitol of Annapolis, the Maryland Renaissance Festival is one of the most acclaimed and best attended renaissance festivals in the United States.  The entertainment choices range from bawdy tavern music to children’s theater, high wire balancing to full-contact jousting.  Quality professional theater is also an important part of the experience.   While the theatrical offerings range from the aforementioned children’s theater to original scripts highlighting the storyline for the royal court of King Henry VIII, perhaps the most unique experience one can attend is a performance of a classical play.  For decades, the professional acting company, under the auspices of Artistic Director, Carolyn Spedden, has performed plays by Shakespeare, Moliere, Garrick and Rostand. While these works are adapted for time constraints, usually shortened to ninety minutes or less, the caliber of the acting and the direction is on par with that in the nearby metropolis’ of Baltimore and Washington DC.

For the 35^th anniversary of the Maryland Renaissance Festival, the professional acting company is presenting William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, under the direction of John Sadowsky and starring Jack Powers. Why Hamlet?  “Why not Hamlet?” declares director John Sadowsky. “ We haven’t done it before.  It is one of the most popular plays in the canon.  It is such a beautifully constructed story, and one of my favorites.”

However, in order to produce Hamlet the play had to be reduced to two 50-minute acts. “John Sadowsky explained the challenge in cutting Hamlet. “Trimming the longest play to fit in time less than his  (Shakespeare’s) shortest was indeed a challenge.  First and foremost, I wanted to tell the basic story of Hamlet’s conflicts and revenge.  Some decisions were quite straightforward – we will stick to what is going on in Denmark.   And so much of the recapitulations of the story throughout the play were removed.  On the other hand, I didn’t want to touch the well-known soliloquies or famous lines any more than was absolutely essential. “  

Jack Powers, who has a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from Muhlenberg College and numerous classical and musical theater credits to his resume welcomed the challenge of playing Shakespeare’s most famous character.  When asked if anything had been cut from the script that he wished could be restored, Mr. Powers responded, “Not really.  Most of the cuts were made around the central revenge plot, so much of the introspection and philosophy are missing.  I think these elements are certainly iconic of the play, but ultimately they do not service the main action – they are intellectual side plots that, while certainly generating academic discussion, are not essential, in my opinion, for the characters.”   

 The trimming of the play has had another benefit for the characters of Gertrude and Ophelia.  “With so much of the men’s talking gone, we can see more clearly the development and growth of Gertrude and Ophelia as real human beings,” says John Sadowsky.   The relationships among the main characters also became clearer particularly with the decision to cast a young Hamlet.  “Seeing Jack’s audition caused me to modify my original thoughts about Hamlet.  I was going to go with the traditional 30-something, who just prefers to stay in and around his college until called back to Elsinore to assume the throne.  But I saw something special in Jack’s audition and decided to go with the 20-year-old Hamlet, a real college student who is genuinely pissed off at not succeeding his father and who could be goaded into action by the ghost of his father (real or imagined).  “He isn’t any more indecisive than any other 20-something and we can clearly see the vengeance plot take hold.  And Jack has plenty of youthful exuberance, charm, intelligence, and playfulness that really rounds out Hamlet and makes him a joy to watch.  Our Hamlet is sympathetic and not the indecisive whiny complainer that sometimes comes across.”

Another aspect of the play that benefited from the decision to cast a 20-something Hamlet came in the casting of Claudius and Gertrude.  John Sadowsky explains,  “I wanted a somewhat younger Claudius and Gertrude with which the audience could well understand their love story.  Both had to be complex – Claudius is not pure evil and Gertrude is not simply a spoil of Claudius’ plot.  Her love and concern for her son and her husband had to be real.  John Stange and Kelly Gray both showed the human side in their audition.” 

The reduction of the story to fit a particular time “slot” on the Globe Theater stage led to challenges in rehearsal.  John Sadowsky, who also directed the 2010 production of Don Quixote, Book II by Baltimore playwright Mike Field, drew a comparison between the two productions.  “The biggest challenge is that I didn’t have the playwright to work with this time.  In Don Quixote, we approached the rehearsal as a developmental process; the script was a work in progress and was subject to change, depending on how scenes work and what needed adjusting once we saw how it all looked in performance.  Although Hamlet is a well established and complete play, our edited version in many ways was like a developmental work and actors could find new cuts (and re-additions) at just about every rehearsal until we had it working the way I wanted.  I have directed established plays before without the time constraint (a very real one as all shows have strict schedule limits at the Renaissance Festival) so I found it both challenging and lots of fun to approach Shakespeare as if it were a new play under development.”

Performing in an outdoor venue has built-in challenges such as distracting noises and weather conditions.   However, the actors performing  in Hamlet must also compete with the sights and sounds of the entire Renaissance Festival.   The Royal Stage is right next door and the popular White Hart Tavern up the road.  Vendors hawk beef jerky and pretzels near the back of the audience.   The crowds pass through on their way to other shows.   “The performance space is both a blessing and a curse, “ says Jack Powers.  “The former, in that it keeps you from agonizing too much over subtle, minute character choices, since none of your choices will matter if you cannot project your voice and personality into the noisy throng at the Globe.  The latter, because it challenges you much more so than a conventional theatrical performance to be very mindful of how you use your voice and body to express – you have to be loud and expressive enough to command attention, yet employ enough physical economy so as to preserve your voice and body through the entire performance as well as the rest of the festival day, since almost all the Hamlet actors also have street characters.”

The Maryland Renaissance Festival’s professional actors not only have to appear in stage shows, the majority of them also appear as members of King Henry VIII’s royal court or as villagers of Revel Grove.   This adds to the vocal and physical stamina required by the actors as the performance day lasts from 10 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays and Labor Day Monday from late August to late October.

By far the most challenging aspect of the performance of the Maryland Renaissance Festival’s production of Hamlet comes with its hour-long intermission.   The seats at the Globe Theater stage are wooden benches and the lengthy intermission gives theater devotees a chance to stretch their legs, use the privy, and grab an ale before returning for act two.    As an actor, Jack Powers discussed his challenge in having an hour-long break in his performance.  “The fun part will be the hour-long intermission between the two acts – too short to transition back to my street character, but too long for a lunch break.  I think Hamlet will be taking a gander through Revel Grove.”   Mr. Powers has the advantage that the member of the village he plays is a Sheriff’s Deputy, part of, as he calls it, “a jovial group of swashbucklers.” As he has a familiarity with that character he finds transitioning between the swashbuckler and the vengeful Prince of Denmark fairly easy to accomplish.

With the challenges of performing classical theater in a Renaissance Festival setting comes certain realities that are not necessarily present in more traditional theater.  There is the very real possibility that an audience member might choose to view Act One on one performance day and Act Two on another performance day.   For the benefit of audience members who have missed Act One a brief recap is presented before Act Two commences.   For those audience members who decide to continue in their seats during intermission,  the entertainment schedule at the Globe Theater provides even more Hamlet, this time on the comedic side as at 2:00 p.m. Happenstance Theater presents Something Rotten, “a wordless romp through the highlights of Hamlet,” starring Mark Jaster and Sabrina Mandell, who also portray the Player King and Queen in Hamlet.  The very popular Shakespeare’s Skum entertains the crowd at 2:30 p.m. with their hilarious Leave It To Hamlet.  It is possible to immerse oneself in all things Hamlet for three hours if one so chooses.   Yet, it is the opportunity to see quality Shakespeare, performed by a professional company of actors under the auspices of an acclaimed director that makes this production of Hamlet a triumphant achievement for the 35^th anniversary of the Maryland Renaissance Festival.

William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, directed by John Sadowsky and starring Jack Powers as Hamlet will be performed at the Maryland Renaissance Festival’s Globe Theatre Stage at 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays through October 23, 2011.  For tickets to the Maryland Renaissance Festival and other performance information please visit www.rennfest.com.

No Tailgaiting Allowed!!! A commentary on Jiffy Lube Live

The consumption of alcohol has always been prohibited in the parking lot at the concert venue currently known as Jiffy Lube Live located in the Northern Virginia suburb of Bristow, Virginia.    The Thespian has memories of attending concerts during the venue's very first season when the venue was known as Nissan Pavilion at Stone Ridge, in 1995 when one had to cleverly disguise alcoholic beverages.  The alcohol ban since then was mostly winked at until two high profile drunk driving deaths occurred.

In 2009, tragedy struck when a grandmother and grandchild were killed by a drunk driver who had attended the Jimmy Buffett concert.   In 2010, two teenagers were killed in similar circumstances following a Rascal Flatts concert.    During the 2010 concert season, there was a zero tolerance for alcohol in the parking lot.   Many Prince William County police officers patrolled the tailgating fans and, if they believed that your plastic cup was more than soda, they would demand that you pour it out on the ground.

For the 2011 season, Live Nation, the owner of Jiffy Lube Live, decided to go one step further and ban tailgating in the parking lots before and after all concerts.   This led to an uproar, as the policy was not announced in advance of ticket sales and many concertgoers only discovered the policy when their tickets arrived with "No Tailgating"written upon them.   This led to the formation of a Boycott Jiffy Lube Live Facebook page.   Kid Rock declared on YouTube that he would no longer play concerts at the venue.   Fans of Jimmy Buffett, for whom the tailgating party is part of the concert experience, wondered whether he would make a similar declaration.

There are valid reasons for banning tailgating at concert venues and sporting arenas.   First, it discourages the heavy consumption of alcohol before the events.   One assumes that if the pre-party is taken off the grounds either a designated driver would drive his inebriated friends to the concert or that responsible adults would limit their consumption of alcohol knowing that they had to drive.   It also eliminates the vast amount of trash that accumulates in the parking lots and cuts down on the public urination that occurs on the edges of the parking lots as well.  The tailgating ban also makes exiting the venue after the concert much easier as there is less debris to dodge when trying to navigate out of the parking lot. The Prince William County police are also in favor of the tailgating ban as it lessens the arrests and accidents that occur following concerts.

The problem with the new policy isn't its good intentions.   The problem with the new policy is two fold.

First,  if the goal is to eliminate drunk driving, then why does  Jiffy Lube Live serve alcoholic beverages for the entire length of the concert?  Even sporting events stop serving after the seventh inning stretch.  Bars have a last call.   Not Jiffy Lube Live.   The venue serves frozen margaritas and daiquiris for $14, wine for $10, and beer for $10-$13.   At the Jimmy Buffett concert alcohol was served from the moment the venue opened to concertgoers (the parking lot opened at 4:00 p.m.) until Mr. Buffett finished his third encore at 10:20 p.m.   If the goal is to prevent drunk driving, Jiffy Lube Live is 100% contributing to the problem.

The second problem is how Jiffy Lube Live defines tailgating.   Any other venue, concert or sporting, would consider tailgating as setting up a space around your vehicle in order to party.   Chairs, grills, coolers, decorations, etc.    So, what does Jiffy Lube Live consider tailgating?  Are you sitting in your car?   A parking lot attendant will knock on your window and tell you that is not allowed as that is tailgating.    Did you bring a sandwich to eat instead of spending a lot of money on food inside the venue?   A parking lot attendant will knock on your window and tell you that is not allowed as that is tailgating.   Did you bring a beach ball to toss around the pavilion during the show?   Better hide it under your shirt as it was reported to The Thespian by a few Parrothead fans that their beach balls were confiscated as that was considered tailgating.  (Normally beach balls and inflatable beach toy sharks are tossed through a Jimmy Buffett concert.  At the September 1, 2011 concert, The Thespian counted --there were less than 10).

It is this hostile environment towards their paying customers that is going to cost Jiffy Lube Live business.   Thanks to its no refund policy, there was little damage to Jiffy Lube Live's coffers in 2011.   The one exception was the Jimmy Buffett concert.   Originally scheduled to be performed on August 27, 2011, the concert was postponed until September 1, 2011.  Refunds were available to those who could not attend the rescheduled concert.   What was a few hundred seats available on the 27th became thousands of seats available for September 1.    Whether it was the short notice or the fact that it was a weeknight instead of a weekend or whether people took advantage of the refund to send a message of displeasure over Jiffy Lube Live's new no tailgating policy one cannot be certain.   The proof will be the 2012 concert season.  How many performers will refuse to book Jiffy Lube Live?  How many concertgoers will not buy tickets to protest the no tailgating policy?   As Jimmy Buffett sings "Only Time Will Tell."