Back in the late 16th century when Shakespeare was the toast of the Elizabethan theater world, performances of his plays at London’s Globe Theatre and other stages were essentially outdoors. Those theaters evolved from inn-yards — inexpensive spaces where rowdy audiences gathered, drank, cheered heroes and booed villains. Shakespeare’s plays were written for such venues, so perhaps that’s why “Shakespeare in the Park” has become a popular way to present the plays.
New York impresario Joseph Papp launched the modern concept in 1954 with performances on that city’s Lower East Side. In 1959, Papp’s productions moved north to Central Park; in 1962, that park’s Delacorte Theater opened, an amphitheater specifically designed for summertime open-air Shakespearean productions. Papp’s idea of free performances in outdoor settings established the model that’s been replicated in more than two-dozen American cities and elsewhere around the world.
Cincinnati Shakespeare Company pushes the idea even further, with its free Shakespeare in the Park tour, now in its 10th season. Rather than limiting performances to one park, Cincy Shakes tours three productions to more than 30 locations across the Tristate.
Performances of Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, featuring six actors in streamlined renditions, began July 29. They’ll travel around Southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana until Sept. 1. (After the late-summer tour, productions are booked at local schools, community centers and other locations through May 2017. Nearly 10,000 people attended performances in 2015-16.)
This year’s shows have new costumes and scenic designs. Using body microphones, actors’ voices are amplified so audiences can hear them in non-acoustic, open-air spaces. Shows have been trimmed to be less than two hours and made suitable for families and children of all ages. Actors play multiple roles, carefully defining each one with costumes, wigs and voices that make it clear who they are.
All three shows are driven by feuds and arguments. The most lighthearted work this summer is A Midsummer Night’s Dream, staged by actress Caitlin McWethy. Her production incorporates original Hip Hop music by digital producer Kick Lee in collaboration with Elementz. The comedy is about a confused muddle resulting from feuding fairies that mess with human couples in a forest outside ancient Athens. The show is full of mistaken identities, and one of the highlights is a laugh-out-loud play-within-a-play featuring Nick Bottom and his inept, talentless co-workers, the “Rude Mechanicals.”
Their attempts to rehearse and perform a play for a royal wedding are the show’s comic core. This production’s next performance will be Tuesday at Keehner Park in West Chester.
A feud between families is the fuel that drives Romeo and Juliet, staged by Cincy Shakes veteran actor and director Jeremy Dubin. He’s updated the story to modern times, bringing the young lovers together for the first time at a superhero costume ball where they meet and fall instantly in love. The play from the 1590s is the most romantic tragedy that Shakespeare wrote.Dubin’s modern interpretation of the play underscores its continued relevance. Upcoming performances of Romeo and Juliet happen Saturday at the Dunham Arts Center (2 p.m.) and Eden Park’s Seasongood Pavilion (7 p.m.).
In Macbeth, an envious lord and his ambitious wife, spurred by an ominous prophecy, seek to kill the king of Scotland and usurp the throne. It’s perhaps Shakespeare’s most elemental tragedy. Director Kristin Clippard sets her production in a Scottish wilderness, inspired by the Pict warrior tribes of medieval Scotland. Macbeth will be performed on Wednesday at Clifton Cultural Arts Center, on Thursday at Boone Woods Park in Burlington, Kentucky, on Friday at Vinoklet Vineyard in Colerain Township and on Sunday at the Harry Whiting Brown Lawn in Glendale. Most performances start at 7 p.m.; there are a few 2 p.m. matinees.
Find SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK’s full schedule and locations at cincyshakes.com.
This article appears in Aug 10-17, 2016.
