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Shakespeare in Love, Presented by Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park, My Thoughts
This was such a fantastic show! Having grown up in a small town the only live plays I was lucky to see were performed by one of the local high schools, one of the biggest in the district. This was the first Shakespeare play for me and also for my five-year-old son. It was a way to introduce him to this amazing play write and the beautiful creations he's written.
Something I did to prepare my son for what to expect was watch a few videos on YouTube made for kids to let him learn who Shakespeare was and what he created. Some of the videos we watched are as follows:
Biography of William Shakespeare for Kids: Famous Writers for Children - FreeSchool https://youtu.be/QfyiTacKrSA
A Midsummer Night's Dream 🎭 Shakespeare for Kids Read Aloud https://youtu.be/r0eF_Q5t594
Shakespeare for kids | The Very Friendly Neighbours (Based on the story of 'Romeo and Juliet') https://youtu.be/GGXaEb2k5Hc
He loved watching these and I was impressed with how easily it kept his attention. I was also excited to see how he did at the actual play.
Something that helped us was that this was an outdoor play so we were in a small courtyard with a stage set up. Play-goers had access to bathrooms, refreshments, and air conditioning if the heat became too much. There were options to sit on a blanket in the grass or reserve a table. My son and I chose to sit on the grass.
Parking before the show was kind of a nightmare but I didn't expect it to be easy. We had to walk a few blocks to get to the theater. Once we reached the theater we quickly showed our tickets, grabbed drinks, a snack, and laid our blanket out close to the stage. I let him run around prior to the start of the show along the gravel path. This didn't bother anyone and he wasn't the only child there.
He settled down when the show started and was riveted to his spot as the actors began their scenes. A few of them walked from behind us to the stage as part of the show and he was ecstatic about that. The music and lights caught his attention and he sat well until the break.
During the break, we ran to the restroom, refreshed our drinks, and he ran around. This helped him release some of his pent-up energy. I knew he was getting tired though because it was getting late but once the final part of the show started he was back in his spot. He wiggled more during the last of the show but overall did amazing.
After it ended we cleaned up our stuff and met up with the cast. One of the lead actors was a girl I worked with years ago as a waitress and he loved meeting her. We had a blast and headed home following.
The show itself was beautiful. The actors did a magnificent job and kept the crowds interest. They even included the crowd in a few scenes which surprised me. The songs they sang were perfect and not a pitch-off. They made the story flow from start to finish and created a new love for Shakespeare's work in my heart.
I look forward to seeing more from this theater and I hope that many of the actors will be in more of their productions moving forward. I highly recommend checking them out if you're in the Oklahoma City area.
ADAPTED FOR THE STAGE BY LEE HALL, BASED ON THE SCREENPLAY BY MARC NORMAN AND TOM STOPPARD.
Penniless and indebted to two demanding producers, struggling young playwright William Shakespeare is tormented by writer’s block until he meets the beautiful Viola de Lesseps, daughter of a wealthy merchant, whose fiery passion for poetry and drama leaves her secretly longing to be an actor. Both are despondent when they learn that Viola’s father has promised her to the stuffy Lord Wessex in order to gain a title for their family. Under the veil of secrecy, Will and Viola’s passionate love affair becomes the basis of the very play he is writing – Romeo and Juliet. With opening night – and the wedding day – fast approaching, the plots race toward a parallel conclusion. Will it all work out in the end or are the two star-crossed lovers destined for tragedy?
“Makes you feel grateful to be alive.” / Independent | “A heady celebration of the act of theatre.” / Guardian | “A swooning delight.” / Daily Mail | “A joyous celebration of theatre.” / Daily Telegraph | “An absolute joy from beginning to end.” / Daily Express
Presented by special arrangement with Concord Theatricals