Karaoke & open mic nights with Two Gentlemen

Last week I saw The Two Gentlemen of Verona, at the Shakespeare Theatre Company's Lansburgh Theatre. I had run into a friend who had recently returned to the area and transferred from UArts to Howard, not two days before. Turned had we had a mutual friend in the show, Jade Wheeler.

Before I go any further, I just want to clarify that this is NOT a review, but merely a reaction.  First of all, there are plenty of individuals doing reviews to begin with. Secondly, I'm simply interested in sharing my personal thoughts and seeing what others think. I'm more interested in the dialogue, I suppose.

However, here are some reviews of the show, if you are so inclined:

• The Two Gentlemen of Verona (DC Theatre Scene)
• The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Metro Weekly)
• ‘The Two Gentlemen of Verona’ is entertaining, over-the-top (Washington Post)

The other...caveat I would like to put out there is that I am certainly not a Shakespeare fan, in the way that I'm not an Opera fan; this isn't to say I dislike either, as I can experience and appreciate both, but they're not my preference for live performance. That being said, I enjoyed this production of The Two Gentlemen of Verona.

But this isn't a review.

From the get-go, the opening set the stage for a certain amount of...Glee-ification, from lack of a better word (and to best describe the trend of musicalization by way of pop culture).  And this is almost certainly a case where my own experiences project themselves on the art (which is part of why I love art, in that the same event came mean completely different things for different people).  The thing is, I am...or at least was, a bit of a Gleek, and actually found my way into theatre and dance professionally, by way of musical theatre.

So I appreciated the various "musical" moments, incorporated into the production by way of interludes, karaoke, and open mic nights. These also provided a break from the script, and added another layer to the story.

I also did not "do my homework". It was actually an interesting question posed on STC's twitter, in terms of what kind of prep others do to see a Shakespeare play they've never seen before. STC tweeted back to one reply:

"That's a good point, I suppose less prep is needed for the comedies. They're not less complex but are more accessible." (see tweet here)

To which I would certainly agree. I personally do little to no prep, wanting the piece to be able to stand up on its own.

I also appreciated the monologues in a way I hadn't before. At first, it reminded me of those confessional moments in reality shows, where it's just the person, the camera, and the audience. I know, Shakespeare and stage monologues came way before reality tv, but in terms of forms and devices I've experienced, it was just interesting that THAT was the connection I made. Maybe it's a stretch, maybe not.

One thing I couldn't help but notice, and it's a lens which existed but was further developed through a semester-long class on Art, Community, & Diversity in AU's Arts Management program, is how much my friend and I (both young men of color) added to the diversity of this Saturday matinee, both in terms of age and race. I point this out simply and objectively, as an observation to discuss.  Part of the audience make-up was, I'm sure, because it was a Saturday matinee.

But by the end of the show, I left hoping that this was the exception in terms of audience demographics, and that others of every ethnic/cultural background, and of my generation and younger have been seeing this show, and taking a chance on it if Shakespeare isn't "your thing". Beyond the Glee-ified moments, the story is simple and certainly one that some might relate to. It is a story of two friends, and what happens when one doesn't put "bros before...", well you know the phrase.

And I digress. I actually hope to catch the show again, and if you're interested in catching it too, it is playing until Mar 4. You can get tix here.

If you're on Twitter, follow STC @ShakespeareinDC, and follow & use the hashtag #TwoGents. You can also find STC on Facebook.

- J Street Jr

Encounters: Melinda E., Jeri M., & Aaron R.

I'm trying to leave this Artists' Bloc event we have at Woolly Mammoth (I'm Membership Director, for the former organization, not the latter) as the audience for Woolly's main stage production, Clybourne Park, is leaving; and I run into three theatre professionals/friends whom I've worked with over the years in various capacities, Malinda Ellerman, Jeri Marshall, & Aaron Reeder.

I say I'm trying to leave because I had been saying goodbye's for the previous 10 minutes and finally. But I shouldn't be surprised running into them, I suppose...I mean, that's how much of a community there is in DC, when you've worked in the area for any number of years.

Malinda...I think we might've actually met doing Summer Dinner Theatre at Montgomery College about 7 or 8 years ago. Our paths crossed again in the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, when I transferred to UMD as a Dance major; she was a Theatre major.

UMD is also where I happened to meet Jeri, who I worked with a couple of years ago at the Smithsonian's Discovery Theater, which produces and presents "live performances for young audiences" in the DC area. I was Assistant Director for a show she was cast in, Going the Distance, a piece about Jesse Owens and Wilma Glodean Rudolph.

Aaron...I'm not actually sure how we met initially, but we got to work together on what was my last professional theatre gig before I started grad school, Jerry Springer: The Opera, at Studio Theatre, summer of '08.

Aaron has been performing with the Washington National Opera, for a number of season and is currently in their production of Porgy & Bess, which closes this weekend. Jeri is working on something with the Maryland Shakespeare Festival (I believe); and Malinda is performing with the St. Mark's Players in a production of Oliver! coming up in May, where she is playing Nancy.

That's the awesome but sometimes frustrating thing about all the awesome work that's being done in and around this area. There's a lot of it, but only so much time and money one has to go out and support it, particularly the friends and professional acquaintances you make over the years. Can't hurt to try and catch 'em all, though, right?!

(And yes, if you picked up on a Pokemon reference, that was intentional...I'm so ashamed...)