As William Shakespeare wrote, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women are merely players.” This quote will become literal for Lamar University’s department of theatre and dance as they present an outdoor show, April 10-13.
This production will be staged outside to pay homage to original Shakespeare productions that took place in open-air taverns, director Alan Brincks said.
“A lot of (the play) takes place in the forest of Arden,” Brincks said. “We have embraced that idea of going into the forest and going into nature to learn things, to find love, to find healing, to find ourselves, as many of these characters do in the play.”
Bailey Jenkins, who plays Orlando, said this is his first time doing an outdoor performance and he expects it to be a different experience, as the rehearsals move from the stage to the area behind the theater.
“We haven’t started the outdoor part yet,” Jenkins said. “Everything’s been in here with a prototype set that we bring in every rehearsal. I’m very excited to start the process of doing it outside and see where that kind of evolves the show from where we have it now.”
Cameron Durso, who plays Silvius, said putting on an outdoor production has brought on a different set of challenges.
“We live in a place where there’s active construction,” Durso said. “We have to be a lot louder, which sounds easy, but isn’t because there’s a difference between speaking loudly and yelling, and so we have to find the difference. We don’t have curtains, so we have to learn how to keep in character, because we don’t really have a place to hide behind.”
Brincks said the Theatre department has not put on a Shakespeare production in a while, and that it is a slight challenge compared to other scripts.
“Shakespeare is still one of the most produced playwrights in the country, so it’s good to give students that opportunity to do the work,” Brincks said. “It takes a little bit of a slightly different technique. Part of the beauty of Shakespeare is the language itself, so we’re highlighting that in terms of production. We’re still trying to remain true to what Shakespeare’s story is, but also we’re looking at, ‘What is our story?’”
Jenkins said he relates to Orlando, and hopes to relay that to viewers.
“I want to show (the audience) what being a human is about,” Jenkins said. “And that comes with the trials, the good things, the pros and cons of it all, and, more importantly, being openly passionate about something, and letting that kind of sweep you off your feet.”
Durso said Silvius is also someone the audience will be able to relate to.
“I hope I can show the audience that love is complicated, but it’s worth it,” Durso said. “That’s what he’s meant to represent. He’s committed and love is a very big commitment.”
Showtimes are at 7:30 p.m., April 10, 11 and 12, and 2 p.m. April 13. Audience members can bring outdoor seating such as lawn chairs or blankets.
General admission is $15 and $7 for LU students. For tickets, visit lamar.edu/lutdtix.