Monday, June 26, 2006

Play at the Park?

Hi guys! I was wondering if anyone might like to go to a play at Schiller Park this Thursday, Friday or Saturday (if the weather is permitting). The play starts at 8PM, and is free. We could maybe pack some ham sandwiches and chips and pop? Here's a summary of the play. It looks to be humorous. (though isn't this also the beginning of the "weekend o' fireworks?"). Ah well...if anyone is interested, here's the plot summary!

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) is a parody of the plays written by William Shakespeare with all of them being performed (in shortened form) during the show. The play is unique in that only three actors are involved in it. Typically, the actors use their real names and play themselves rather than certain characters. The fourth wall is nonexistent in the performance with the actors speaking directly to the audience during much of the play, and some scenes involve audience participation. The director and stage crew also may be directly involved in the performance and become characters themselves.

The script was published in 1994 and contains many humorous footnotes on the text that are often not included in the performance. However, improv plays a heavy role and it is normal for the actors to deviate from the script and have spontaneous conversations about the material to each other or to the audience. It is also common for them to make references to pop culture or to talk about local people and places in the area where performance is done. As a result, each performance can be vastly different from another, even with the same cast.

Plot summary
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
The three actors first introduce themselves to the audience and begin with a parody of Romeo and Juliet. Next, they do a parody of Titus Andronicus, portraying it as a cooking show. Following it is Othello, which is done through a rap song. The rest of the first act demonstrates most of the other plays with all of the comedies being combined into one convoluted reading and all of the histories being acted out through an American football game. At the end of the act, the characters are about to finish when they realize that they forgot to perform Hamlet, Shakespeare's greatest work. One of the actors becomes nervous about this and runs out of the theater with another actor chasing him. The final actor is left to entertain the audience by himself, which he does by telling jokes and calling for the intermission.

After the intermission, the two actors who left return, with the nervous one being convinced to do the performance. The entire second act is the performance of Hamlet. The audience gets involved during this segment when one audience member (sometimes, but not always, someone that has been planted by the director) is asked to portray Ophelia. The rest of the audience makes up Ophelia's subconscious, with three sections that each represent her ego, superego, and id. After the portrayal of Hamlet is over, the actors play it out several more times, each one faster than the last. They finish by performing it in reverse and saying goodbye to the audience.

6 comments:

Craig said...

I would be up for it. Thursday is the only day that wouldn't work for me.

Angie said...

Friday looks to have the best weather, as well.

Angie said...

http://www.theactorstheatre.org/

It's at 8PM at Schiller Park in German Village. Take 71N to the Greenlawn Exit. Turn right off the exit to High Street. You're technically turning left, but really, you're just cutting across the street, because it kind of zigzags really quickly to Thurman Street (you'll be able to see Thurman from the stop light at High Street and Greenlawn). Keep going until you get to ?Jaeger? or City Park, and Schiller Park is right there. You can just park whereever and walk to the Pavillion.

Seating up front is for blankets, and then the seating in the back is for people with chairs (makes sense, right? so people with blankets can see...). You can totally bring food and stuff, but they have a little bit of concessions there. There are bathrooms, too, inside the community building. Just FYI, they will come around at intermission and take up a collection, but technically, it's free. The guy taking up the collection is funny! hahaha...

Anyway - if anyone has any tips on those directions - feel free to jump in. You can cut down several of the side streets once you're on Thurman, but you have to go down far enough on Thurman to be able to cut over first...someone else might have to say HOW far though...

Angie said...

Yeah, this sounds good to me. The weather IS supposed to be nice Friday night.

Let's meet at my house around 7PM, and we can leave from here.

Megan if you could bring Ham and Bread ("fixin's" for the sandwiches).

Craig you bring Chips and sides.

I'll get the drinks, Ice and Cooler.

And, I'll get in touch with Brandy (who seems to be MIA this week), and see if she wants to go. If so, she can bring some sort of dessert.

If Brandi doesn't go, then Megan - could you drive, please?

Angie said...

I meant Brandy in all references above. Brandi has plans already.

Craig said...

Angie I talked with Tammy and she sounded interested in going but she might need a little nudge. I think it would be great if she went with us. I will work on her some more tomorrow at work.