TH EATER
FIRST FRIDAY
AT HARLEQUIN
BY ANNA GRACE
Open until 8
Trunk Shows and Glass Blowing Demos
BETRAYAL AND BLOOD —
STAGED POOLSIDE
FEATURED ARTISTS
Sheri Smith, Nancy Gant
& Eli Mazet
JUL 30-AUG 3
& AUG 6-10
Free Shakespeare in the Park
A
PHOTO BY TR AC Y ILENE MILLER
brilliant politician who
would be king is brutally
stabbed to death by a group
of senators … right in the
middle of Amazon Park?
Now that’s drama. With daggers at the
ready and poetry popping from their
lips, it is time again for Shakespeare
in the Park’s annual show.
This year they take on the bloody,
ever-relevant The Tragedy of Julius
Caesar. I managed to fire off a few
questions to Artistic Producing
Director Sharon Se’love as she raced
about in the final week before
production.
Se’love, a classically trained theater
artist who studied in New York and
London, started Shakespeare in the Park
in 1999; she had a vision of “creating a
community theater performing the
works of Shakespeare in the park free of
charge, to turn on many folks to live
FREE SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK RUNS
theater and to have a mentorship
SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS IN AUGUST
program where student actors can learn
AT AMAZON PARK
from experienced actors.”
Shakespeare in the Park differs from your typical theatrical experience. According to
Se’love, “I’d say our staging hearkens back to Shakespeare’s day, where plays were
performed in daylight, there was no fourth wall and set pieces and props are minimal.” She
adds, “We encourage our audiences to hiss and boo the villains and cheer the heroes, to be
engaged with the story.” Audience members do not, however, get to throw rotten fruit.
There’s authentic and then there’s just plain inappropriate.
For those familiar with previous park performances, it will come as no surprise to see
quite a bit of gender-blind casting. I asked Se’love how she decides which roles to cast as
female. “We have always gender-bent casting in Free Shakespeare in the Park. When folks
come to the audition they are asked which role(s) they’d like to play. With that in mind we
cast the best available actor who can bring the character to life, regardless of gender.”
In this year’s title role is 73-year-old actor David Stuart Bull. Se’love notes that,
“David’s Caesar is noble, powerful and dramatic. He is quite the trooper … All I can say
is Hail Caesar!” ■
KING
M IDAS
& the Golden Touch
David Vance Horste
Designer Lapidary Trunk Show
August 2 & 3
by Willard Simms
A M A Z O N PA R K
Performances at 11:00am
TICKETS: $5
Children under 3 FREE
Group discounts available
SATURDAY, AUG 3
Bring a picnic and stay after the
show to have lunch with the
characters!
www.facebook.com/madduckling
pages.uoregon.edu/madduckling
Produced by special arrangement with Pioneer Drama
Service, Inc, Englewood, Colorado & in partnership
with Amazon Community Center and the City of
Eugene Recreation Services.
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar plays 6 pm Saturdays and Sundays, Aug. 3-25, outside on the south lawn at Amazon
Community Park; free.
84th SEASON!
The Very Little Theatre
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The Cripple of
Inishmaan
by Martin McDonagh
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July 26-28*,
Aug.1-4*, 8-10
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Tix: $17 ($12 for Thursdays)
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:HG6DW+LO\DUG6W
7L[RQOLQHDWwww.TheVLT.com
541-344-7751
Cottage Theatre presents A lighthearted musical revue
August 9, 10, 11* ● 16, 17, 18* ● 22, 23, 24, 25*
*matinee
Conceived
and written by
John Foley
Mark Hardwick
Debra Monk
Cass Morgan
John Schimmel
and Jim Wann
Directed by Peg Major
Music Direction by
Marybeth Andrews
$23 Adult, $19 Youth (age 6-18)
18)
Doyle and Donna
Shepherd Foundation
Sponsored by:
700 Village Drive • Cottage Grove • www.cottagetheatre.org • 541-942-8001
eugeneweekly.com • A ugust 1, 2013
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