Shakespeare In The Park Shakes The Lodge
 | Author:
Nancy Marks
Nancy Marks: MT43 News Secretary and News Editor |
Shakespeare in the Parks Play Shakes the Lodge With Laughter Nancy Marks The jokes were slightly bawdy. They were in Elizabethan Age language, the middle schoolers present at the Shakespeare in the Parks play Friday night at the Lodge probably missed the point. Those who got the jokes laughed until their sides hurt.
In its 50th-year celebration of performing, the four actors presented ‘The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged and Revised,’ with bits and pieces of the bard’s 37 plays. They wore crazy costumes, performed crazy physical feats including several sword fights and engaged wholeheartedly with the audience. The audience of 30 did not disappoint them. The audience members laughed and hollered in unison at the actors’ insistence.
All the actors are professionals. Charlotte Ellison an eleven-year actor from Chicago, said she really enjoyed this performance particularly because it was a change to engage more personally with the community. “In other acting jobs, we don’t get to connect with the community,” she said.
Calvin Adams hails from an acting family and grew up in Minnesota. He has been on the stage since 6th grade. A graduate of the University of Montana Gutherie Theater Actor Training Program, he has perfected the unusual art of the thousand different ways to perform vomiting on the stage. He also was amazing in his character voice changes ”Since we play a different town or city every night. The different spaces and audiences give the play new life every time,” he said.
Riley O’Toole is on his eighth tour with Montana Shakespeare. Originally from Sacramento, California O’Toole graduated from the University of Minnesota Gutherie Theater with a bachelor of fine arts. “I keep acting because it is so inspiring to be supported by people in Montana who support the arts,” he said.
As a thank you to Montana theater supporters, the troupe began performing the 50th-anniversary shows in 17 Montana cities and towns. The troupe has Townsend connections as well. Callie Kimpton Hamilton is the group’s new Director of Community Partnerships. Townsend was fortunate enough to be one of the towns, thanks to the support of The Lodge which houses an auditorium and to Broadwater Community Theater board members who worked to engage the show. All donations given at the door went to fund Montana Shakespeare in the Parks.
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