An Actor's Point of View

In the summer of 2008, I once again took to the Shakespearean waters with the Victoria Shakespeare Society and was offered the opportunity to perform in Much Ado About Nothing, for a second time. The first time was back in 2001 when I played Borachio in my first real acting venture. Since then my skill has matured as has my fanfare, and I was offered the lead villain this time, Don John. The performances are held in the park at Camosun College and for all of the unprofessional stigma attached to outdoor Shakespeare, the productions are quite high quality and the venue is genuinely delightful. It is a worthy evening of theatre all around. An interesting side note as a possible testimonial to my testimonial is the fact that my estranged genetic father, Daniel, made a point of taking time out of his vacation schedule to come and see the show and then take myself and Marianne to dinner at the swanky Vista 18 afterwards with his wife. At the gate he told the box-office that he was the father of one of the actors and that he was expected in order to get in free - good ol' Danny!

I was sitting in the 'Green Room' waiting for the evening's performance to begin. 'Green Room' is the theatrical name given to dressing/waiting rooms in which actors or performers lounge before a production. It's the same for televison talk shows. This particular 'green room' was really just a classroom in the building adjacent to the outdoor performance area at Camosun College that was assigned to the actors. As I was engaged in my typical verbal banter with some of my fellow actors, I realized that I had forgotten my belt and my brush. Normally I manage my hair fashions without a brush but my costume and character required both the belt to hold up my countrified jeans and the brush to create the villain's hairstyle demanded by the costume designer. Marianne had planned on coming to see the show with her son Aiden and her daughter Camille that night so I called her and asked her to come a little early and to bring me the required accoutrements. Her arrival came fairly close to curtain and as I was already in costume, I asked the stage manager if she would go out and find "a tiny little woman, kinda asian looking, cute as a button, with ears and two kids. You'll know her when you see her. She has a belt and a brush for me and I really need them." The stage manager accomodated my request and returned promptly with the items for which I had asked. I was unaware of the exchange that had taken place outside in which she acquired said items.
The performance was a success and Marianne commented on how sexy I am as an actor and as a Shakespearean villain. The intended ego stroke served its purpose and she continued to tell me that after the show, Aiden jumped up and exclaimed "That was the best play ever!" The fact that it was the only play he had ever seen and that his step-father was a leading performer was unbeknownst to most who had heard his excited comment.

The following is the review which appeared in the Times Colonist, Victoria's leading newspaper, on Saturday July 12, 2008. (http://www.fpinfomart.ca/news/ar_results.php?q=73126&sort=pubd&spell=1). In relation to what I have written above, pay particular attention to the segments I have highlighted in bold and you will see how Aiden and Marianne inadvertantly made it into the journalist's review. It is a sweet example of how the mundane becomes newsworthy depending on your point of view.

Cowboy setting works well for Shakespeare
New generation of playgoers maks much ado about high-energy show

REVIEW
What: Much Ado About Nothing
Where: Camosun College grounds, near the Lamsdowne Road entrance
When: Tonight. Thursdays and Saturdays, 7:30 p.m., until Aug. 16
Tickets: At event or McPherson box office, 250-386-6121. $17 adults, $14 for students and seniors. Under 12 free.
Rating: **** out of five

STEVE CAREY
Times Colonist

There's gonna be a hoedown at the Messina ranch tonight. Yee haw!

That's the feeling set by the Victoria Shakespeare Society's 1950s western staging of Much Ado About Nothing, a version with wagon wheels, hay bales, fiddlin' folk music and of course, cowboy hats.

Setting a 400-year-old comedy as a western might not do it for the artistic purist, but it sure makes it accessible for everyone else. At the end, a little kid in the audience, focused on the high-energy action of the play exclaimed "That was the best play ever!" before flashing the devil horns hand sign at his mom.

The characters' costumes changed enough to rival a Sex and the City episode, and gave the actors personality. Sharp-tongued Beatrice, played to snooty perfection by Casey Austin, wears a neckerchief, capris and a striped sailor shirt most of the play, giving her a vampy look compared to her cousin Hero's innocent aquamarine and pink dresses.

The cowboys - Don Pedro, Don John, Claudio, Benedick and company - march in wearing uniforms from the Korean War, then change into their jeans, cowboy hats and boots.

In uniform, all the men seem the same, but once they change, their characters are set up: The troublemakers wear black, the good guys tan.

Don John, played by David Christopher, is the master of the dark, brooding and greasy cowboys. Christopher has his collar popped like John Travolta in Grease and smokes cigarellos. His henchman Borachio, played by Matt Coulson, constantly drinks from a flask. The villains are humorous, in a post-modern, Tom and Jerry way.

There's a moment where Nathan Brown, as Benedick, lies down on hay bales and strokes his cowboy hat with the tips of his fingers as he attempts to seduce Beatrice. Brown looks like a cowboy Oscar Wilde, all playful and goofy. He is a great Benedick, both in line delivery and physical comedy.

As a venue, the grounds of Camosun College are excellent. Seated in chairs or on one of the provided blankets, the audience has a level view of the actors drifting in, in pure western style, toward the audience. It really gives the feeling of being on a ranch.

What makes Victoria Shakespeare Society shows great is the volunteer cast and crew. Ten minutes before the play opened, the stage manager ran out and shouted, "Does anyone have a belt and brush for one of my actors?" Someone did. The play went on.

Overall, the actors had good projection, but could still direct their lines toward the audience a little more, as people in the back row had a hard time hearing them. If you go, dress for the elements and try to sit on one of the provided blankets up close. Being near the action is well worth it. The play runs for two hours with an intermission, which is long enough to hit the comedic high points and stay interesting.

scarey@tc.canwest.com