ALONG COMES MARY

(*Disclosure: I am working with The Theatricum for review purposes. All opinions, as always, are my own.)

When you hear the name, “Shakespeare”, what enters your mind? It’s a humorous question to ask.  Some remember portraying one of his famous characters in a play, cramming in to study the night before a book report or some may begin reciting his prose.

My first experience seeing his work live was a traditional production of Much Ado About Nothing. Already being a theatre fan & having read his work, I was very intrigued & loved it. No other writer has mastered such a lyrical way to make such a timeless piece, capable of producing a script in nearly any kind of setting you can think of. Joss Whedon’s recent modern film adaptation of Much Ado is a perfect example.

Given how timeless The Bard’s work is, it’s a bit hard to fathom his 450th birthday was this past April! Many theatres around the world are celebrating like mad, & a season long party I am excited about is happening right here outside of LA at Theatricum Botanicum in Topanga.

A lively mix of tragedy and comedy with a heaping tablespoon of Theatricum’s trademark social commentary, the 2014 five-play repertory season has something for everyone, including unique Theatricum twists on King Lear and All’s Well That Ends Well; the much-beloved Much Ado About Nothing; the company’s annual, signature production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream; and Equivocation, the award-winning play by Bill Cain that goes behind the scenes at the legendary Globe Theatre as King James commissions a young William “Shagspeare” to write a play about a thwarted attempt on his life.

In addition, Theatricum has been selected to participate in “Shakespeare on the Road,” a 60-day road trip by a team representing the University of Warwick and the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust that will visit and document Shakespeare-related theater festivals across America during the 450th birthday of Shakespeare in 2014 and the 400th anniversary of his death in 2016.

The season kicked off June 7th, with Geer herself taking on the title role in a gender-reversed Lear for the 21st century, a daring new production that sees Lear divide her kingdom and test the loyalty of her three sons. Shakespeare’s sublime poetry infuses this towering tragedy, a tale of madness, tyranny, loyalty and love.

June 8th found the kick off for A Midsummer Night’s Dream joins the repertory season. The natural beauty of Theatricum’s Topanga environment transforms once again into an enchanted forest, peopled by lovers and fairies. Comic misadventures, mistaken identities and unrequited love are reconciled by magic, midsummer revelries and the enduring power of nature.

In his bittersweet All’s Well That Ends Well, which just opened June 21st, the beautiful but low-born Helena heals the king, winning the right to marry the man she loves — a count above her station. But no one is prepared for the severity and ruthlessness of Bertram’s rejection of Helena as his royally decreed wife, nor for the lengths Helena will go in order to win his love. Theatricum makes a black and white comment on our perceptions of class, casting the royals with actors of color, while the commoners are white.

Next up, beginning July 12, is Much Ado About Nothing, one of the most exuberant and spirited battles of the sexes ever written. Beatrice and Benedick find each other as detestable as worms. Their verbal jousts are witty but cruel, and every action is calculated to wound — yet beneath their animosity lies a mutual attraction that neither dares confess until circumstances unite them to rescue young friends and force them to unmask their own true love.

Winding up the season on Sept. 5 is Bill Cain’s Equivocation: At once an explosive comedy of ideas and a high-stakes political thriller, this bold new work deftly reveals the cat-and-mouse games in politics and art, and the craft of learning how to speak the truth in difficult times. Set in 1605 London, a struggling playwright called “Shagspeare” receives a royal commission from King James to write a play promoting the government’s version of the Gunpowder Plot, a recent failed attempt to blow up Parliament and the Monarchy.

The entire season will be in repertory, so check out their web-site here for more info & tickets, and look for my feature on King Lear next week! xo

(*Disclosure: I am working with The Theatricum for review purposes. All opinions, as always, are my own.)