NAKED SHAKESPEARE Offers Three Events for February

The Acorn Shakespeare Ensemble, presenters of the "Naked Shakespeare" series, continues its 2009/2010 season with an eclectic series of shows during the month of February. The troupe kicks off the month on Monday, February 1st at 8 p.m. with another edition of the popular "Sonnets and Soliloquies" at the Wine Bar on Wharf Street. On Valentine's Eve, Saturday, February 13 at 8 p.m., the company reprises their scene night "Fools for Love" at the Inn on Peaks Island. Finally, on Tuesday February 16 at 7:30 p.m., Acorn presents their high school touring version of Macbeth in a rare public showing at SPACE Gallery in Portland.

"Sonnet and Soliloquies" is an ongoing series of performances at the Wine Bar on Wharf St. in Portland's Old Port. "Sonnets and Soliloquies" is a one hour free performance of some of the bard's best poetry, presented in a style that is designed to be accessible to all audience members, even those that are not that familiar with his work. The ambience and performance style encourage an intimate relationship between actor and audience that allows the language to take center stage. Actors are cued by contemporary lines written on cue cards read by audience members, allowing for a playful interaction that celebrates the poetry by providing a contemporary context for the text. The February edition will not only include the usual mix of speeches from Shakespeare's canon, but also scenes from the company's upcoming performances of The Tempest in March and As You Like It in May.

"Fools for Love" is an evening of scenes from such well-known plays as King Lear, Richard III, and Twelfth Night, as well as lesser-known gems from The Winter's Tale and Measure for Measure. The scenes were chosen with an eye towards connecting the depths of the lover's passion with the seeming folly of the fool's antics. The line-up will be very similar to the version seen at SPACE Gallery in January, with one or two substitutions. The audience will be seated cabaret-style at round tables, and food and wine will be served during the performance. True to the company's aesthetic, the scenes will be staged in various locations around the space, allowing for an element of surprise as audience members morph into actors at unexpected times, providing for an immediacy and intimacy that has become one of the company's trademarks.

In order to showcase Naked Shakespeare's new touring version of Macbeth, Acorn Productions has scheduled a public performance of the company's four-actor, one-hour version of William Shakespeare's classic tragedy. The production, which features Acorn Ensemble members as the doomed couple Karen Ball and Paul Haley is currently available as a touring piece for high schools in Southern Maine. Over the summer, Acorn's Producing Director Michael Levine re-directed the piece to include two additional company members, Nate and Johnny Speckman, and a new "soundscape" created by the actors during the performance. Acorn's edited text focuses on the essential journey of Macbeth from war hero to tyrant, examining the causes of his downward spiral. The performance includes all the most famous text selections as well as nearly complete versions of the scenes between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth.

The Acorn Shakespeare Ensemble was founded by Michael Levine and Michael Howard in the fall of 2004 in order to provide an opportunity for local professional actors to forge a long-term working relationship designed to deepen their ability to interpret classical text. The company's mission to is to educate its audience about the meaning behind Shakespeare's text by using acting to simply demonstrate the broad range of intricate emotion, theme and language. The company offers a free series of "Naked Shakespeare" performances at venues throughout Greater Portland not typically used as performance space for live theater, creating the world of the play in the imagination of the audience by minimizing the use of sets, lights and costumes.

Call Acorn Productions at 854-0065 or visit www.acorn-productions.org for more information about Naked Shakespeare or any other programs offered by Acorn Productions.

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"Sonnets and Soliloquies"
Wine Bar on Wharf Street, Portland
Monday February 1 at 8 p.m.
Suggested donation $5

"Fools for Love"
The Inn on Peaks Island
Saturday February 13 at 8 p.m.
Suggested donation $10

"Macbeth"
SPACE Gallery, Portland
Tuesday February 16 at 7:30 p.m.
Suggested donation $5

 

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