At Home With Shakespeare

Although I can still recite the many lines from Julius Cesar I learned in high school, I am by no means an authority on Shakespeare. In Shakespeare: The World As Stage, author Bill Bryson reminds us rather poignantly through historical analysis that there are few authorities on this historical figure and much conjecture. The act of adaptation of a Shakespearean play is by its very nature an interpretation. Taming of the Shrew, a truly cathartic story line for any alpha male in pursuit of a stepford wife, follows the farcical courtship of Petruchio and Kate from violent banter to submissive romance. While traditional views of Petruchio are of a primitive and unyielding character, Director Ed Wagenseller maintains that this year’s production of one of Shakespeare’s best known comedies reveals a deeper and more complex portrayal of the protagonist than its misogynistic predecessors. I was present at the second Friday production and was not disappointed. Emerging from the sundown symphony of the nocturnal swamp creatures of Greenfield Lake that would rival a Faulkner evening was lead actor Justin Smith’s lyrical and overtly romantic pronunciations of his love for Kate, his unwilling bride to be. Smith’s ability to find and exploit ironic and perhaps even sympathetic nuances in the character led to his selection as Petruchio. Kate (Allison Cornett) on the other hand, who triumphed over 3 other possible Kates during auditions, won over the director with her intuition, stage presence and raw emotion. Smith, Cornett and twenty other survivors of the initial 75 individual auditions opened the 16^th season of Shakespeare on the Green to a warm reception – fueled in part by the newly renovated Greenfield Lake Amphitheater. To a greater extent, however, the success of this year’s production is a testament to artistic prowess on behalf of the cast and ample enthusiasm on the part of the community. By the second weekend, nightly attendance topped 500. According to Wagenseller, this level of attendance is a great reward for hard work and dedication.

It was 16 years ago that As You Like It opened from a meager slab of concrete illuminated with domestic floodlights. Shakespeare on the Green has come a long way since its humble origins. It relies extensively on generous private contributions to sustain an estimated $26,000.00 annual budget, which covers the costs of set construction, wardrobe, sound and lighting. An ongoing agreement with the City of Wilmington allows exclusive use of the Greenfield Lake Amphitheater for the month of June of every year. In exchange the actors from Shakespeare on the Green will continue to give themselves freely and tirelessly to the stage they’ve come to call home.

It is common for the cast to wear many hats to guarantee that the show will go on. For them it is a labor of love. But for a community like Greenfield Lake, which is deeply rooted in altruistic beauty, the donation box is a cornerstone of this great institution. The legacy of the lake is a testament to the power of generosity. The venue itself could not be a more appropriate home for an event that means so many things to so many people. For some, Shakespeare on the Green is an opportunity to show off seasoned talents. For spirited understudies, it is a launch pad. For costume designers, it is gallery of Elizabethan pageantry. For aspiring actors, it is a place to dream. For most, it is an opportunity to picnic under the stars with a bottle of unoaked Chardonnay, immersed in a transcendental foreground of nature and artifice; allowing us for a couple of hours to break bread and be entertained away from the tumultuous world that exists outside the gates of Greenfield Lake Amphitheater. Taming of the Shrew will continue playing on Friday, Saturday and Sunday through the month of June. From there we will await the start of the next season with eager anticipation. Ongoing support from the private sector will guarantee that the show will not only continue to have a home but also a future.