Jul 11, 2008 - 08:26:09 CDT
"We men may say more, swear more; but indeed / Our shows are more than will, for still we prove / Much in our vows but little in our love."Doth thou like that? As do I, but verily, thee shouldst knoweth that 'twas not Iwho cast these haunting refrains, rather those most beautiful of words did first burst forth from beneath the twisting and turning of the pen held by the Bard of Avon, himself, thy great William Shakespeare. Verily.
Ihave no idea what Ijust said, but the passage preceding it comes from Shakespeare's comedy, "Twelfth Night."One of the bard's most acclaimed plays, it is one artistic masterpiece that fans of both literature and theater should see re-enacted whenever the opportunity presents itself.
And, wouldn't you know it, your opportunity is now, as the newly formed Capitol Shakespeare organization will begin a four-night run of renditions of "TwelfthNight," beginning on Thursday and finishing on July 20. The performances are part of a free, outdoor festival on the south side of the state Capitol grounds, next to the Veterans' Memorial, complete with Shakespearean entertainment, food and drinks.
One of the driving forces on the board of Capitol Shakespeare is the Tribune's own business reporter, Crystal R. Reid. Having worked alongside Reid for nearly two years without even once hearing her quote a single verse of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" randomly from her desk, I, for one, wondered where this passion for Shakespeare or the idea to put this festival together comes from.
"My reason for starting this event was purely selfish: I love Shakespeare and I like free shows," she said. "Several places I've lived, including towns in England, where I went to high school, had traveling Shakespeare troupes or free Shakespeare plays in parks for everyone to attend."
The group hopes that this year's Shakespearean festival will become an annual event here in Bismarck, and the choice of presenting "Twelfth Night" as their first-ever production was one made with purpose.
"We wanted our first show to be a colorful comedy that everyone could follow and enjoy,"Reid said. "Although 'Twelfth Night' is all over the place with its twists and turns, it's absolutely hilarious. The cast and director have done a fantastic job capturing the humor of every situation. This is a play for everyone, kids to adults."
The festival is all about bringing a sense of history to Bismarck, complete with sights and sounds you probably can't see too often in our fair city. Your best chance to get the entire experience in will be on "Shakespeare Saturday," which will feature lots of preshow entertainment, including wandering wenches, knights in shining armor and merry minstrels.
These activities will start at 4 p.m. Saturday, so get there early and help yourself to a turkey leg, or get in on some sword-fighting or a good old-fashioned heckling.
(Columnist's note: Kelly Hagen is in no way associated with this event, so if you should see me walking the grounds there, Iam absolutely not open to being heckled. Unless your idea of a Shakespearean comedy is seeing a grown man roll around in the grass, crying his sad eyes out.)
Reid is most proud of the price tag for the entire extravaganza:free. "I think the free part is key here with families facing smaller vacation budgets and larger bills, paying for every family member to go to an arts event like this gets too taxing,"she said. "Plus, keeping it all-inclusive adds energy to the fun, festival atmosphere we hope to achieve."
Show times are at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with preshow entertainment starting at 5 p.m. on the weekdays and 4 p.m. on Saturday. The festival starts at 1 p.m. on Sunday, with a matinee of "Twelfth Night"at 2 p.m. Be sure to bring a blanket or a lawn chair without spikes, so as to not poke holes into the Capitol grounds.
Iguess you could call it a no-holes "bard,"free-for-all event, if you were really interested in being heckled. And I am not.
See thee at thine festival. Verily.
(Alas, columnist Kelly Hagen, I knew him, Horatio. Contact him at 250-8259 or kelly.hagen@bismarcktribune.com.)
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