With the weather warming up unseasonably in winter for rain and melting snow, it's not difficult to feel a hint of warmer weather coming on the other side of winter. As usual, that sort of feeling ends up accompanying thoughts of summer Shakespeare. The American Players Theatre has announced dates for its shows including Two Gentlemen of Verona, Hamlet and an intimate studio theatre staging of Antony and Cleopatra. And in the north, Door Shakespeare has announced a summer including intimate outdoor productions of Macbeth and Love's Labours Lost.
Closer to home there are a couple of summer Shakespeare shows that happen to coincide. The recently-founded Riotous Shakespeare company hasn't yet sent out any kind of press release for an upcoming summer show, but I'm really hoping that it doesn't happen to overlap with the weird Shakespearian conjunction that will be mid-to-late July. Optimist Theatre has recently stated that its summer Shakespeare in the Park show will run at that time. No word on what that will be quite yet as far as I know, but the Alchemist Theatre production of King Lear is starting to look very, very interesting.
A script by Shakespeare has so many moving parts that two productions can be pretty vastly different. Rarely do I get a chance to see two productions so close together, however. This particular production comes within several months of UWM's staging of the tragedy. James Tasse and Bill Watson and Kirsten Johnson put in such powerfully memorable performances in peripheral roles in that show that the title character seemed more like a tragic afterthought. A little over half a year later, I get a chance to see Alchemist Theatre's production on the other side of town.
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Running July 11th through July 27th at the Alchemist on 2569 South Kinnickinnic Avenue, the show stars Milwaukee favorite Bo Johnson in the lead role. Though he's done extensive work in serious drama, Johnson is probably much more familiar to audiences as a comic actor. Johnson has a tremendous talent for comedy, which should serve the role well when tempered with the seasoned actor's ability to conjure something of greater depth.
The cast also includes Libby Amato as Lear's eldest daughter Goneril. Amato has been making quite an impression on the dramatic stage in recent years, most recently for her performance in In Tandem Theatre's production of The Nightmare Room earlier this season.
She is joined by Anna Figlesthaler in the role of Regan, Lear's second daughter. Figesthaler most recently made an impressive dramatic appearance in the Alchemist's production of Help Wanted.
The show is being directed by Milwaukee Rep Education Coordinator Leda Hoffmann, who has also worked as an assistant director for The Rep. Another Milwaukee Rep connection here is the production's sound designer Erin Paige, who also serves as Assistant Sound Designer for The Rep.
Lighting for the show is being done by the single biggest name in lighting design in Milwaukee theatre--Jason Fassl. I don't think its an exaggeration to say that about 90% of the time that I see a show and think about how good the lighting is, I'll check the program and there's Fassl's name.
An intimate studio theatre, The Alchemist has been home to some memorable Shakespeare mutations in the past. Fools For Tragedy's In My Mind's Eye and Bad Example's Juliet and Romeo come to mind. Sit in the front row and its an unflinchingly close look at some of the most revered drama in history. I'm looking forward to this show and so much other Shakespeare this coming summer.
