Shakespeare Out of the Box

28 Jul

Shakespeare in the Parking Lot (SITPL) is Tacoma’s only resident Shakespeare company since 1999. This traveling troupe of performers strives, through the magic of imagination and innovative performance, to inspire and excite audiences of all ages to engage with the works of William Shakespeare. It is a noble undertaking in the age of Netflix, and a boon for those who already like their entertainment “live.”

Untitled, by John Farrell

SITPL is “taking the fear out of Shakespeare” by offering educational opportunities and staging fresh productions of the Bard’s work in non-traditional and outdoor venues in the South Sound. Under the leadership of founder and artistic director, Kristie Worthey, the theatre company has recast Shakespeare’s dramas with contemporary situations and characters (Macbeth as a presidential hopeful; Juliet as a Generation Y teen). For a production of Titus Andronicus this fall, SITPL will adopt a Surrealist approach using digital artwork by Tacoma artists and music by local composers. Spaceworks Tacoma is supporting the new production with a residency at 913 Pacific Ave., which will provide free rehearsal and performance space from September to November. During the residency, the company has tentative plans to offer one workshop with Royal Shakespeare Company vocal coach, Andrew Wade. Rehearsals are always free and open to the public.

SITPL‘s work has been recognized on the national and international levels; this year, Worthey was chosen to be a panelist at the Shakespeare Theater Association of America’s annual conference at the Globe Theatre, in London, speaking on the topic, “Shakespeare Out of the Box.” On July 29, the actors will perform at the Spaceworks Tacoma Block Party at Theater on the Square downtown (see http://www.spaceworkstacoma.com for information). On Aug. 8 and 22, the troupe will take the stage at the Tacoma Art Museum for a performance of the tragicomedy, Arcadia, by Tom Stoppard. Shakespeare in the Parking Lot, 913 Broadway, Sept. – mid-Nov. Information at http://www.sitpl.org

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3 Responses to “Shakespeare Out of the Box”

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  1. Trick Art Treat on October 28 « - October 19, 2010

    […] and adjacent installation sites. Up your culture quotient with a performance by Tacoma’s own Shakespeare in the Parking Lot. Take a whack at a witty, gritty Tacoma piñata by Cheryl Rux and Nichole Vandever (you really […]
  2. All Dressed Up, and Everywhere to Go « - October 31, 2010

    […] off Thursday night with a VIP reception with Mayor Marilyn Strickland at the performance studio of Shakespeare in the Parking Lot. While a few partygoers read the Halloween dress code as fast-and-louche – strutting about in […]
  3. Support your Local Shakespeare Troupe « - November 10, 2010

    […] Shakespeare in the Parking Lot is performing Titus Andronicus at 913 Pacific Ave. through Nov. 14. “Titus Andronicus has inspired all the horror movies now in existence,” says SITPL founder Kristie Worthey, with gleeful enthusiasm. It contains “every element used in every horror film.” SITPL puts a modern twist on the blood-and-guts classic with the use of digital imagery, and some of the action is delivered in the form of broadcast news. The group had a narrow window of opportunity in which to perform the play at 913 Pacific Ave., and prepared for it in record time: “We basically did it in Shakespeare’s style, because he would hand actors the script and in two weeks they would turn it around.” Order tickets at http://www.sitpl.org. At the performance space, don’t miss Rob Zinkevich‘s eerily elegant bone lamps, made out of real animal vertebrae. […]

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