Shakespeare’s Coming! Join the Fun!

Orcas’ Cast of Characters Rivals Shakespeare’s

By Margie Doyle

Freddy Hinkle, as a feuding Montague, and Christopher Evans as Puck, bring their characters to life at the First Shakespeare Festival, 2012

Shakespeare’s coming to Orcas Island! The 16-17th-century English playwright whose works are timeless, will be impersonated next weekend by Paul Freedman, founder and teacher of Salmonberry School. And as any self-respecting 21st century performer will agree, he brings along a coterie of groupies, artists, and literary lovers with him.

This cast of island Shakespearean characters are being coordinated (herded?) by Shakespearean actress, director and teacher Jane Alden. Her efforts in bringing the first Shakespearean Festival to life in 2012 were rewarded by the Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce with a special President’s Award at the Chamber’s annual meeting last fall.

Freedman will lead the Community Parade at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 23, starting at Emmanuel Episcopal church on Main Street. He’ll be accompanied by jesters, jugglers, queens, courtiers, kings, lawyers, knaves, ladies, traitors, actors, gentlemen, ne’er-do-wells and syncophants, and fallen heroes — such is the rich tapestry of humanity and its foibles portrayed by Shakespeare in his many plays of tragedy, comedy and history.

Meanwhile the townsfolk and merchants of Orcas Island are working to bring the wisdom and entertainment to the island, for the benefit of islanders and island visitors.

At the School
Orcas Open Arts is coordinating a school program in which children make life-size puppets of characters in The Tempest. A scene from that play will be directed by Orcas parent and actress Gillian Smith and performed on the stage at the Village Green.

At Orcas Center:
On Friday, March 22, actors from the Seattle Shakespeare Company will instruct high school students on “combat technique” for the stage. The class takes place at 10 a.m. at Orcas Center.

School students will attend a special performance of Julius Caesar by the Seattle Shakespeare Company on Friday, March 22 at 1 p.m. at the Orcas Center.

On Saturday, March 23, Shakespeare’s  timeless drama of politics and power, Julius Caesar, will be enacted on stage at the Orcas Center by the Seattle Shakespeare Company at 8 p.m. Ticket holders are invited to a wine reception at the Orcas Center beginning at 7 pm. The show gets underway at 8 pm. Buy your tickets for this classic political thriller at Orcas Center or Brown Paper Tickets.

At the Library
Planning meetings continue at the Library, and the lobby showcase, organized by Veronica San Martin, features photos from the 2012 Festival.

At the Funhouse Commons

Christian Hawes, assisted by Annette Marsden, teaches a juggling program for kids at The Funhouse Commons. Festival Artistic Director Jane Alden says, “The children in this program will then  have the opportunity to be part of the Band of Jugglers in the Festival.

Armando Nunes conducts Fencing Classes for kids at the Funhouse Commons, and regularly works with about a dozen young fencing students.

Anne Ha, parent and teacher, meets regularly with a children’s group, also through the Funhouse Commons, teaching a Shakespeare Class.

In the town:
Michell Marshal, Office Cupboard proprietor and Chair of the Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce which is sponsoring this festival for the second year, is planning a Dinner with the Actors of the Seattle Shakespeare Company on Thursday, March 21 at Sazio di Notte‘s Restaurant in the “Our House” building on North Beach Road from 6 to 9:30 p.m. (Sazio’s, owned and operated by restaranteur/chef Bill Paterson, has a double identity — it is known as Chimayo’s during its daytime meal service).

The Seattle Shakespeare Company’s troupe of actors will join the dinner guests for this inspired – and specially-crafted 5-course dinner, as well as provide insight into their upcoming performance of Julius Caesar. Tickets for this dinner event are still available, at a cost of $125 per person, includes wine and a tip. The event is a fundraiser for the Festival. Reservations can be made at Sazio (360-376-6394), The Office Cupboard (360-376-2378), or at the Chamber of Commerce (360-376-2273).

Sharon Schmidt is working with Alden to provide street flags and shop decorations. Carla Stanley is fashioning Shakespearean era street signs which will hang below the official county street signs.

Wood’s Cove shopkeeper Ginny Lu Wood invites people to her shop on North Beach Road on Friday, March 22 from 1 to 3 p.m. for an entertaining open house with Carol Anderson, owner and creator of Magic Island Herbals. She will be teaching about her methods, recipes, and uniqueness of her product line starting with ye olde original Saucy Wench Healing Salve to her latest creation Coconut Sugar Scrub. There will be samplings, too, Wood promises.

A Stage Combat acting class for adults takes place on Friday, March 22 at 4 pm at Outlook Inn’s Victorian Room. Here’s how to learn to theatrically land and take a hit! Stage combat is the theatrical art of physical conflict which can range from a simple slap to big battle scenes. Casey Brown will be teaching an introduction to the techniques and tricks actors use to express action on stage. Participants will learn how to punch and kick safely, all the while keeping their partner safe. The Seattle Shakespeare Company will conduct this class at a cost of $30. Class size: 30. Reservations made through the Chamber of Commerce (376-2273).

Jane Alden, guiding muse behind the 2nd Orcas Shakespeare Festival

The Parade

Meanwhile Jane Alden is busy choreographing the events of Saturday, March 23.

The Official Parade begins at 11 a.m. “Anyone is welcome to be in it,” says Alden, “just sign up at the Chamber Office on North Beach Road.”

Paul Freedman’s students will accompany him (Shakespeare) and perform a skit. Young violinist Sasha Hagen will be Shakespeare’s personal musician.

Christopher Evans will encore his appearance as Puck, the wood sprite created for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and the head of mischief and irreverence.

County Undersheriff Bruce Distler will keep order as the Bailiff, who hauls wrong-doers off to jail.

Once again, local musician Grace McCune will lead her troupe of whimsical Faeries through the town to delight and enchant passers-by.

The parade will conclude at the Village Green, where Orcas Island School music instructor and Band Leader Martin Lund will lead the music-making.

Local Dignitaries, such as Michell Marshall and other Chamber Board Members, will announce the day’s merriment and present a Key to the Town, fashioned by Orcas Center’s Deborah Sparks, to Shakespeare.

Shakespeare will then progress to the Public Library, and to Darvill’s Bookstore, and meanwhile events throughout the day are planned for the Stage on the Green.

Maria Bullock will lead an aerial silks performance with the “Midsummer” fairies.

Peter Vinson will direct the scenes of the “Mechanicals” (tradesmen) from Midsummer Night’s Dream concluding with “”If we shadows have offended”

That evening, the Seattle Shakespeare Company will perform Julius Caesar onstage at the Orcas Center at 8 p.m. Ticket holders are invited to a wine reception at the Orcas Center beginning at 7 pm. The show gets underway at 8 pm. Buy your tickets for this classic political thriller at Orcas Center or Brown Paper Tickets.

Join the Fun!

To be in the parade you need to sign-up: just email the Chamber at info@orcasislandchamber.com, or call 376-2273 for all the details.

Major festival sponsors are Islanders Bank, Island Market, Orcas Net and Barbara Bedell. The Chamber invites Shakespeare Sponsors to help make this a memorable event.