The Taming of the Shrew at the Mount.. Photo Zachary da Silva.

A Singer’s Notes 153—Shakespeare and Company: Two Outdoor Performances: The Taming of the Shrew and The Merry Wives of Windsor

In Williams Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, the Bard baits us at every moment. We all long for a sweet love-life. Finding this requires, in this play, a whole lot of passionate listening, and in Shakespeare and Company’s outdoor production in the Dell at the Mount, director Kelly Galvin gave it to us.

Twelfth Night 2019. Bella Merlin, Gregory Boover, Miles Anderson, and Steven Barkhimer. Photo Daniel Rader.

A Singer’s Notes 149: Twelfth Night or What You Will at Shakespeare and Company—Not to be missed! Closing August 4th!

Music and words, words and music. In director Allyn Burrows’ Twelfth Night at Shakespeare and Company, words and music received full support from the text and from the melodies. One reason for this play’s greatness is a simple one—many characters, many situations. The first encouragement in this superb production is its near constant use of music. New music, old music, all used with joy. Also that occasional joy which comes from sadness.

Allyn Burrows, Artistic Director of Shakespeare and Company

Allyn Burrows, Artistic Director of Shakespeare and Company, talks to Michael Miller about the 2018 season, directing, acting and actors, and, of course, Shakespeare.

With Shakespeare and Company’s Winter Studio Festival of Plays drawing to a belated conclusion, because of a fierce winter storm, and the press announcement of the 2019 season coming up, it seems a particularly opportune time to publish the Podcast of my interview with Artistic Director Allyn Burrows about the highly successful 2018 season.

A Moment between Gustav (Jonathan Epstein) and Adolphe (Ryan Winkles) in Strindberg's Creditors. Photo Eloy Garcia.

A Singer’s Notes 146: August Strindberg’s Creditors at Shakespeare and Company

The plays of August Strindberg that I know tend to reach their greatest intensity in the middle.  His plays crave engagement.  Energy is all.  This was shown deftly, powerfully in Shakespeare and Company’s production of Creditors.  Convincing performances were provided by Jonathan Epstein as Gustav, Ryan Winkles as Adolph, and Kristin Wold as Tekla.  As Gustav, Mr. Epstein was the mover and shaker.  He had been given the difficult task of showing a kind of hidden abuse in the guise of providing instruction in living to the young Adolph, Mr. Winkles.

Allyn Burrows emerges from a chest in "Or" at Shakespeare & Company, 2016. Photo Ava G. Lindenmaier.

Allyn Burrows, Shakespeare and Company’s New Artistic Director, talks to Michael Miller about the 2017 season…and much else.

Shakespeare and Company, a presence in Lenox since its foundation in 1978 by Tina Packer and Kristen Linklater, has undergone some seismic challenges in recent years, and there has at times been some concern about its future, but it continues to soldier on with its richly and solidly matured education programs and performances that seem to only to get better and better. Now, following a brilliant season (2016) and looking forward to what promises to be another equally exciting program this summer, all the upheavals seem basically of academic interest, and I’ll let you wait until someone publishes a history of this company, which wears its laurels so lightly that some, I believe, underestimate just how important it is, not only for the history of Shakespeare performance in this country, but anywhere.

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