Shakespeare Shakes Up the Shoulder Season!

4th Annual Shakespeare Festival April 7-11

— by Margie Doyle —

William Shakespeare, by Carla Stanley

Now looking ahead to the 4th year of the Orcas Island Shakespeare Festival, (April 7-11, 2015), the five-day festival brings back popular events and introduces new ones:

• The local Shakespeare talent show that starred Jake Perrine, Steve Henigson,  and Michael Armenia, among others, will be back and bigger on Tuesday night, April 7!
• A short, humorous play with Orcas actors Kelly Toombs and Peter Vinson and directed by Tom Fiscus, will play Wednesday and Friday evenings, along with “Unexpected Shakespeare,” by Unexpected Productions.
• The gala dinner ($100 per person) with special guests from the Seattle Shakespeare Company will  return on Thursday evening, with Magician Matthew Laslo-White providing entertainment.
• The Seattle Shakespeare Company will have a special performance for Orcas High School students on Friday afternoon at Orcas Center.
• The Friday night shows at Random Howse conclude with a “Cast Party Open to All” and a dance.
• And it all blossoms throughout town on Saturday, April 11, with the Parade, the Festival on the Green, and an evening performance of Macbeth.

The Shakespeare Festival Director, Michell Marshall, has been working steadily since December, with committee members meeting weekly since Jan. 20. The festival is sponsored by the Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce.

Tom Fiscus, Orcas attorney and actor, most recently seen in “The Miracle Worker,” is directing the Toombs-Vinson skit. It is a parody of the comedic interchange “Who’s on First?” made famous by the Abbott and Costello routine of vaudeville days, and is entitled “Who Doth Inhabit the Primary Position?”

Fiscus says, “Both Kelly and Peter are natural comedians, and they’re having a lot of fun. In fact, they’re so excited about their routine that they are switching parts on Wednesday and Friday nights.”

Fiscus, who still can recite Shakespeare’s plays from memory says, “I’ve always appreciated Shakespeare so much, his themes tap into all human experience — ambition, greed, love. Yet he can be somewhat intimidating. The more we can do to make it accessible and fun, then the more we can pull it apart and see what the themes are. And the Festival is giving more opportunities for local actors and performers to be involved.”

And bringing the kids along in appreciation of Shakespeare is built into the festival, with the Funhouse sponsoring a free mask-making class on Tuesday, April 7 with Lana Hickman. All materials are provided, and the masks can also be worn in the Saturday parade! The Seattle Shakespeare Company is also donating its Friday afternoon performance for high school students.

This year’s local talent show, on Tuesday evening at Random Howse (tickets $10) will feature performances by:

• Jake Perrine as Oberon and Christopher Evans as Puck, two fairies from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
• “Almost Classical” trio with Paris Wilson, Emmy and Lisa Carter
• Frank Michaels  as Polonius from “Hamlet”
• Cali Bagby and Grace McCune, in a skit written by Bagby
• Jim Shaffer-Bauck again reciting Shakespeare’s sonnets
• Kellen Comrie, Lulu Egan, Sierra Romillah and Bailey Sunde in musical performances
• LuAnn Pamatian as Lady Macbeth from “Macbeth”

Other acts will be added, and those interested in performing can contact Tom Fiscus at 376-3988.

Meg Massey, with Becky Vinson, is overseeing the all-important costuming for the festival.  She says, “I like that I can contribute to the authenticity of all the events, not just the costumes.”  Mostly, the costumes come from Orcas Center, which had added to its “Shakespeare collection” in recent years. Massey has altered many of them to reflect more of a Renaissance style, when skirts were much fuller than in medieval times.

“I’m also in charge of keeping Michell [Marshall] out of trouble,” she adds with a laugh.

Michell Marshall says her enthusiasm for the Shakespeare Festival comes from the need for a “shoulder season” event to bring visitors to Orcas to have fun, and perhaps make plans to come back, and her desire to “get the community out just to have fun.”

The community can join spontaneously in the fun and drama by joining the Parade, celebrating in the Fair and attending the Seattle Shakespeare Company’s performance of “Macbeth” on Saturday evening (Ticket $15).

Those who would like to participate in the parade call the Chamber and let them know you’ll be there —  376-2273. For those who would like to watch the parade as it goes by, the starting point will be at School Road and Prune Alley/North Beach Road. The parade will proceed south down North Beach Road to Main Street and back to the Village Green at noon, “with throngs of watchers on both sides of the street!” says Marshall.

It will then lead into the Fair on the Village Green, where craft and food vendors will be celebrating in full Shakespearian style from noon to 3 p.m. with

• Morris Dancers
• Jugglers
• Slack Rope Walkers
• JP and the OK Rhythm Boys
• Almost Classical (minus Paris Wilson)
• Steve Henigson as a scholar to hold forth answering questions about Shakespeare
• Phil Heikkinen, chess master, playing multiple games simultaneously. (Last year, Heikkinen played 24 games and won all but one!)
• and a petting zoo!

Musicians and other performers at the Saturday festival on the Village Green will perform under a tent, with seating provided.

Michell Marshall says, “I’m so thankful for the committee! It’s so talented; their organization is bringing new and fresh ideas.” Committee members are:

• Cat Gilliam
• Tom Fiscus
• Cheryl Kummer
• Meg Massey
• Bill Patterson
• Jennifer Pietsch
• Julie Remington
• Carla Stanley

and from the Chamber:

• Coleen Armstrong
• Susan Gudgell
• Lance Evans

“It takes a committee to put it all together,” says Marshall, and Massey jumps in, “We’re having fun!”

For tickets and further information, contact the  Office Cupboard at 376-2378 or the Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce at 376-2273.