A parent’s review: Shakespeare in the park

Casting about for ideas on how to spend some of these glorious summer nights in Seattle? Look no further than one of your local parks where you can find Shakespeare in the park.

We are blessed beyond measure in Seattle to have three, yes three, different companies performing free Shakespearean plays in our parks. Each company has its own way of presenting Shakespeare, and each has different benefits, which means there is certainly one to fit your family's desires.

Wooden O is the summer branch of the Seattle Shakespeare Company. Their summer productions are by far the most elaborate ones you will find in a park. While they stick to the traditional Shakespearean dialogue, they like to present the plays in a unique way. This summer, for Two Gentlemen from Verona, Shakespeare meets Grease: With leather jackets, soda jerks and the funniest two-legged motorcycles you have ever seen, the play is just downright fun.

Following the lofty language of Shakespeare can be tough for young ears, but Wooden O helps by including popular music. Duke of Earl, Great Balls of Fire, Who Wrote the Book of Love and Speedoo are just some of the songs you will recognize in this show. More importantly, the music helps to tell the story. When Julia takes on the disguise of a male page to travel to Milan, she transforms to the sounds of Walk Like a Man. When Valentine is struggling to tell his penitent friend how he feels, the back-up chorus urges him to "tell him, tell him, tell him, tell him right now." I can't wait to see what their all-female cast does to shake up the story of Julius Caesar.

The other big benefit of the Wooden O productions is that they include a sound system. Yes, the actors have hidden (very discreet) microphones, and there are speakers along the sides of the audience. This is a bonus for helping both kids and adults catch all of Shakespeare's clever lines, and also affords a larger seating area.

Wiggly kids will be more engaged sitting closer to the action, but aisle seats are also great if you need to slip out for a restroom break. The Wooden O productions are full-scale productions, so expect a two-hour show with no intermission. Restroom breaks before the show are advisable. These longer shows also mean that while the show starts in the sun, it will end during the fading glow of twilight, so pack jackets. Many of the parks are near the water as well, which can mean a light breeze. There are a few matinee shows, but only a few.

GreenStage is Seattle's Shakespeare in the park company. They live for this, and it is evident in their shows. They tend to follow a more traditional route and maintain the original times and settings of the plays. While the costuming is still wonderful, don't expect a lot of other bells and whistles with these shows.

With GreenStage, the story comes alive through the expression and emotions of the actors. Their commitment to bringing the classic works to life is evident in their celebration of completing the canon. In this, their 26th year, GreenStage has performed all (ALL!) of Shakespeare's 37 plays, along with two others that are widely (but not universally) considered his. They are one of only a handful of companies in the world to have completed the canon. So yes, it's a big deal. And again, we are so lucky to have them here in Seattle.

If two hours of Elizabethan English sounds like a mite too much, there is still another option. GreenStage's Backyard Bard offers condensed Shakespearean plays that last approximately one hour. For first timers, this is a great way to test your child's interest in watching both Shakespeare and outdoor theater.

With the smaller productions comes a smaller cast; each actor plays more than one role. While this may seem confusing, key costuming parts help keep the characters easily identifiable. Better yet, the rushed and crazy costume changes (you may actually see a pair of pantaloons fly up in the air behind the costume rack) make for added humor.

My 10-year-old daughter was impressed by the way in which the actors changed their voices, demeanors and ways of walking to help express and identify each character. She thought it would be great fun to play multiple characters.

Even more fun for the kids was the chance to be part of the action. In All's Well That Ends Well, the King of France promises Helena that she will have the hand of any lord in his court in exchange for the remedy she brought for his illness. With only four actors, and two of them being the king and Helena, they needed more lords. They pulled volunteers from the audience (including my daughter and her friend) so Helena could make her choice. Both girls were thrilled just to stand among the actors for a few moments.

In all, the Bardyard Bard offers the most intimate experience for the audience, which more than makes up for the brevity of the plays.

When I was growing up, Shakespeare was considered stuffy, old and for adults. I remember being surprised when I read my first Shakespearean play to find so much humor with interesting characters and a story that resonated with me. I am so thankful that Wooden O and GreenStage are committed to providing access to these wonderful plays for communities throughout the greater Seattle area.

While Shakespeare never missed an opportunity to include drunken debauchery, murder and other questionable behaviors, the park series always finds a way to make it family-friendly. This summer is our third year attending Shakespeare in the park shows. The first summer, we had to convince our kids to go. Last summer, they said yes with no hesitation. Now they are asking how many we can go see. There are six different shows this summer, and we might just try to see them all.

Kelly Rogers Flynt is a freelance writer based out of Lake Forest Park. Her children, ages 10 and 13, fill her summer with plenty of comedy and drama.

IF YOU GO

Here are the remaining 2014 Shakespeare in the park productions – all shows are free to the public:

Wooden O Productions

The Two Gentlemen of Verona