Shakespeare By the Sea

«I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,
Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,
Quite over-​canopied with luscious woodbine,
With sweet musk-​roses and with eglantine.»
Shakespeare, the great poet, the weaver of dreams, the writer of passion, the original lawyer, the curse of all high school students everywhere…
I am wooed by poetry, especially Shakespearean poetry. However, I also recognize I may be one of the few.
Shakespeare by the Sea is an outdoor traveling performance of Shakespeare’s most notable works. Last weekend’s performance was at Fred Hesse Jr.‘s Community Park which is deceptively a 20 minute drive from the nearest freeway.
After passing the grove of trees to the top of the moor, you discover that everyone has already set-​up camp there. It sort of reminds me of the scenes in King Arthur, Last Samurai, or the Tudors in which they pan a huge green battlefield only to find it swamped by colorful camp dots.
The stage is small and quaint, strategically placed at the corner of the park. It’s really just a shadow of what «fairyland» should look like but what the set lacks, the costumes make up for it. The actors are humorous, expressive, and well cast. Unfortunately, they were taught «elementary Shakespeare» in which every sentence and word is punctuated by huge arm movements. Perhaps this is Shakespeare for the masses…
And the masses there were… Somehow this free show became a family affair with little teeny tots and dogs. People were extremely prepared with lanterns, real wine glasses, breads, fine cheeses, hot drinks, multiple blankets, and comfortable chairs. And the cute old couple dressed in Shakespearean garb with the front row seat and a vase with real flowers… Got there at 5:30 PM!!! (the performance starts at 7 pm).
And the families… oh gosh, the spoiled, entitled, grubby brats of families. Quite possibly the rudest family of all time was there! Just because the venue is outside, doesn’t mean that we can’t hear that you are opening your cooler, your basket, your food packages, your drinks every 5 seconds. Oh and those grubby little tots that talked through the entire performance, grabbed people’s hair, and blocked the aisle so the actor tripped? The minute all of you left, all of us clapped and remarked, «How could you let them be like that?» And, it’s not just them. Most parents were content to let their children run and scream during the performance. Poor actors, poor art, poor Shakespeare…
Overall, I think it was «ok.» Ok acting, ok venue, ok stage, and an «F» audience. I guess this is what you get for «free» art. Quite sad, really… as this is the story that brought us famous words such as:
«Lord, what fools these mortals be!»
«The course of true love never did run smooth…»