By D. A. Blackburn
This summer, there's more growing in Royal Oak's Starr Jaycee Park than just grass and trees. While many area theaters have been forced to trim shows from their schedules of late, Water Works Theatre Company, which opens its ninth season of Shakespeare in the Park July 23 with "Macbeth," is doing something almost unheard of: Expanding.
"We're growing in spite of ourselves," said artistic director Jeff Thomakos. "A large part of it is because when we rent the park from the city, they won't let us rent it for just Thursday, Friday and Saturday. All of our stuff is there. So Ed (Nahhat) and I sort of thought, 'what can we do during those dark times that will help to keep the show going?'"
The answer came to Thomakos rather quickly. "A children's show in the park would be a perfect fill-in for when we're not doing our 'Macbeth.'"
And keep the show going, they will indeed – six days a week – with a production of Lane Riosley's "The Commedia Robin Hood," complete with a warning that audiences might get a little wet. Thomakos, who directs "Robin Hood" in addition to starring as Macbeth in the company's mainstage production, has seen fit to include a water pistol battle in the raucous kid-friendly comedy. Thomakos hopes that this light-hearted production will not only open new inroads in the community, but perhaps also raise interest in the company's heavier works.
"Ultimately, it's really caught on that when we tell people that we're doing "The Commedia Robin Hood" for kids, people who may not have come to our Shakespeare show or been excited about our Shakespeare show, because of all the baggage that comes with Shakespeare, are very excited about the Robin Hood show," said Thomakos. "So hopefully once they come into the "Robin Hood" show, maybe they can summon the courage to see the Shakespeare show."
Expanding offerings has not, however, detracted from the company's bread-and-butter Shakespeare. On the heels of their first foray into the bard's tragedies last season with a successful production of "Romeo and Juliet," they've decided to tackle one of Shakespeare's best-known dramas: "Macbeth."
"For years, Ed was hesitant to do it because it's such a dark show, but I think last year gave us the courage to say 'we can do this. This is something we can handle,'" Thomakos said. "We've done the best comedies, now it's time to do the best tragedies, to kind of show our metal."
If the show's cast list is any indication, Water Works has plenty of metal – and talent -to craft an engaging "Macbeth."
"As a whole, it's the most even cast we've had in a long time. About a third of our cast holds or is pursuing a master's degree in acting, so it's a very educated cast. And even the people in the smallest roles are incredibly talented people," said Thomakos.
The production features a variety of performers who are well known to area audiences, including Aphrodite Nikolovski, Michael Brian Ogden, Stephen Blackwell, Aaron Kirby, Caroline Price, Dylan Stuckey and Matthew Turner Shelton, among others.
And of course, all the fun takes place in a very unique setting. "We're the only ones doing it (this way) in all of Michigan. There is no professional outdoor Shakespeare to be had for miles." said Thomakos.
Plus, the director added, Shakespeare is meant to be performed under the stars. "There was no roof on Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, it was open air, and there's something really, truly magical about performing outside."
PREVIEW:
Shakespeare in the Park in Royal Oak
$15. Water Works Theatre Company presents "Macbeth" ($15) and "The Commedia Robin Hood" ($5) at Starr Jaycee Park, 1101 W. 13 Mile Rd., Royal Oak. July 23 – Aug. 9. http://www.waterworkstheatre.com
