\nNone can be called deformed but the unkind.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n
Once again, strange folk descend upon the forest of our fair Tank Hill to haunt us with epic tales of tragedy and then, with a change of outfit, beguile us with raucous comedies. They call themselves actors, others call them thespians. They worship strange creatures, but none stranger than the one they call the Bard, who compels them to act out his plots for days on end, in rain or blistering heat, with little rehearsal. He pays them naught but in the cheers or jeers or tears of their beggar audience. <\/p>\n
Back for their 11th season, the Lakeside Shakespeare Theatre (LST) will again be performing one tragedy (Richard III) and one comedy (Twelfth Night) in Frankfort on alternating evenings from July 15 through July 25 (with the exception of taking one night off on July 21). <\/p>\n
Richard III is known for being one of Shakespeare\u2019s bloodiest plays, and LST says that their rendition promises \u201cloads of creepy conniving on the battlefield and in the throne room, as Richard of Gloucester ascends to the throne through betrayal (and beheadings) of his own royal family.\u201d Meanwhile, Twelfth Night features Viola and Olivia, two heroines who meet by chance after a shipwreck, and LST is sure to add their popular indie-folk, sing-a-long musical stylings to this comedy that is full of \u201csecret identities, hidden feelings, drunken revelries, [and] true love.\u201d<\/p>\n
The idea of Elizabeth Laidlaw as a way of connecting Chicago\u2019s thriving theatrical community with both the full-time and seasonal residents of Benzie County, LST began in 2003. Every year since, a team of two dozen or so actors, stage managers, sound-effect gurus, and directors has spent two weeks rehearsing and performing here in the northland, in addition to about six weeks of rehearsals in Chicago before they get here. <\/p>\n
This year, the company began rehearsing in Benzie County on Sunday, July 13, running through the first half of Richard III from just after breakfast until just before lunch. A short break for the peak of summer heat in the afternoon \u2013 during which, most cast members apparently nap \u2013 they then ran through the second half of the tragedy. On Monday, July 14, the cast then spent morning and afternoon running through Twelfth Night. <\/p>\n
Given that the preview performances on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 15 and 16, are full dress rehearsals that are attended by the public, that means they\u2019ve been in Benzie County just over 48 hours before they begin performing. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s a very intense process, Laidlaw admits. \u201cAt 25 hours a week, it\u2019s typical for a full-length show to rehearse for six weeks. But we rehearse two full-length shows in six weeks, so we have about 14 rehearsals per show. It\u2019s an insanely fast process.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fortunately, many of the actors are seasoned at this. Sure they have \u201cnewbies\u201d each year, but the company also has several \u201cveteran\u201d actors, Laidlaw says, some who have been with LST more or less since the beginning. When the \u201cnewbies\u201d ask if the timeline is even possible, she responds, \u201cTrust me, it can be done. But it\u2019s logistically insane.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yet, despite the insanity, they keep coming back. Christy Arington, LST\u2019s education director, is in her 10th season, having participated every year except the first. Arington says that performing Shakespeare in Benzie County is like no other audience experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s almost like our audience is the final participant in this thing that we do,\u201d Arington says. \u201cSo sharing this with them is amazing, and that\u2019s why I keep coming back \u2013 because there is nothing that duplicates this experience. We could all get other jobs in the summer that would pay us a lot more money, but this? This is special. This is magic.\u201d<\/p>\n
From year to year, the company cycles people in and out depending upon their availability \u2013 Lily Mojekwu (Margaret in Richard III and Maria in Twelfth Night) took a year off but has returned for her fifth season; Jill Rafa (Lady Ann in Richard III and Fabian in Twelfth Night) took a year off but has returned for her seventh season \u2013 but this is the first year that the show will go on without Laidlaw. This summer, Sara Gorsky has taken over as managing director, because Laidlaw has had to spend her time in Chicago shooting a film. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhen people can\u2019t do the shows, they are really sad. This is my year, my turn to be really sad,\u201d Laidlaw sighs. \u201cBut we\u2019ve built something that doesn\u2019t require just one person. It\u2019s a huge team effort, and if one member of the team has to step out, we have this incredible group of people who are going to keep the ship afloat. I really trust that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now in her fourth season with LST as she takes the helm, Gorsky will not only be found behind the scenes \u2013 she plays Viola, one of the leads in Twelfth Night, as well as Catesby and Murderer #1 in Richard III. Gorsky echoes Arington\u2019s sentiments about the Benzie County audience being a top reason for return.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all work for a lot of different companies in Chicago \u2013 as an actor, you work wherever you get cast \u2013 but the audiences here are really unique to all audiences that I\u2019ve ever had. I feel like they are involved and excited about Shakespeare and about the plays and about supporting this company in a way that I don\u2019t see everywhere,\u201d Gorsky says. <\/p>\n
![\"IMG_9952(1)\"](\"http:\/\/betsiecurrent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/IMG_99521.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n