June 2024 - Let Us Entertain You: The 14th Annual NM Shakespeare Festival
By Teresa Robinson
For some, the idea of Shakespeare ended in high school English class. For others, it was a discovery of a time lost and speech that poured like honey and sweet on the eardrums. It's a goal The New Mexico Shakespeare aims to remind people. The NM Shakespeare Festival aims to present outstanding performances of William Shakespeare's plays and related theatrical works accessible to everyone in New Mexico. Additionally, it seeks to conduct extensive educational outreach programs, leveraging its enduring legacy to enhance and unite our community through the transformative power of theater. They believe that Shakespeare's works are for everyone, regardless of whether you have seen many plays or are experiencing them for the first time.
Director of The Tempest, Paul Ford, and Director of "The Merry Wives of Windsor," and the Artistic Director of the Festival, Micah Linford, discuss the event.
Can you share how The New Mexico Shakespeare Festival came to be?
Micah: The Festival was started in 2010 by The Vortex Theatre as the "Willpower Festival." It took place at the theatre and ran through the summer. The Vortex partnered with the City of Albuquerque in 20 to bring the shows outdoors. It was performed at Civic Plaza and was renamed "Shakespeare on the Plaza." By the 2017 season, it was a free event. In 2019, the Festival moved to our current home at the New Mexico Veteran's Memorial. Last year, we separated from the Vortex and formed our 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
This year, we have The Tempest and The Merry Wives of Windsor as your selections. Tell us how you approached these productions from a directorial standpoint.
Micah: With The Merry Wives of Windsor, I first determined in what era I wanted to set the play. Did I want to make it a traditional Elizabethan production or transport the play to a different time and place? I settled on "1920s America." The parallels between strong, intelligent female characters Shakespeare wrote and women gaining more power and freedom in the 1920s through the Flapper Movement and earning the right to vote made sense. I always approach directing as a very collaborative effort. I have the story I want to tell, but the actors bring their interpretation of their characters. It's all about finding the balance and working together to tell a story the audience will relate to.
Paul: For me, the idea of directing The Tempest was planted at the Festival last year during rehearsals at the Veteran's Memorial Park. I kept thinking that I was watching actors doing Shakespeare on an island under the great sea of the New Mexico sky.
Prospero's island.
There are many different takes on this remarkable play, and recent versions have explored the play as a discussion about colonialization. I honor those interpretations. They flow organically from the setting – a vengeful wizard on a desert island – and portrayals of magical enslavement.
But the interesting landscape in the play is that of Prospero's mind – and the journey follows his growth as he releases his anger and sets free those he has entrapped – and only then discovers that he has released himself.
There is a line from a song by Savuka from the apartheid era in South Africa – "We are the prisoners of the prisoners we have taken."
That's pretty much our mantra.
And it's a ripping good story full of magical spirits, fools, slapstick comedy, and treasonous plots.
I come to this play with great joy.
How has the camaraderie been with the cast?
Micah: The cast is great. We've been incredibly fortunate over the years to have worked with some truly gifted actors who choose to come back year after year. These actors are welcoming of the new talent we're bringing to the Festival each year. It creates a sense of community among the actors, crew, and staff.
What do you think it is about Shakespeare that keeps the audience coming back?
Micah: Shakespeare has an uncanny talent for exploring and understanding the human condition. Every play he writes, every character he writes, is still relatable because they are human. They have merits and flaws that everyone can see. The plays explore themes that we still experience in today's world. While the language is different, the stories are as relatable as anything seen in movies or television. Perhaps even more relatable.
Paul: Shakespeare continues to amuse - shock - and entertain modern audiences. So penetrating is his insight on human behavior that it always feels contemporary - because the human condition of hopes and fears and follies is always contemporary. Audience concerns about understanding Elizabethan language fall aside as they're drawn into a story - told with commitment and passion. Generations after generations are enthralled - learning and laughing about themselves for over 400 years.
Where can people learn more about the shows and those involved?
Micah: Our website is nmshakes.org. We're also active on Facebook and Instagram. Our social media pages are the best way to keep up with everything, especially as the season gets close.
The 14th Annual NM Shakespeare Festival runs from June 7th through July 6th at Veterans Memorial Park in Albuquerque. To learn more information, visit nmshakes.org.f.
What do you think it is about Shakespeare that keeps the audience coming back?
Micah: Shakespeare has an uncanny talent for exploring and understanding the human condition. Every play he writes, every character he writes, is still relatable because they are human. They have merits and flaws that everyone can see. The plays explore themes that we still experience in today's world. The language may be a little different, but the stories are just as relatable as anything we see in movies or television. Perhaps even more relatable.
Paul: Shakespeare continues to amuse - shock - and entertain modern audiences. So penetrating is his insight on human behavior that it always feels contemporary — because the human condition of hopes and fears and follies is always contemporary. Audience concerns about understanding Elizabethan language quickly fall aside as they are drawn into a story told with commitment and passion. Generations after generations have been enthralled — learning and laughing about themselves for over 400 years.
Where can people learn more about the shows and those involved?
Micah: Our website is nmshakes.org. We're also active on Facebook and Instagram. Our social media pages are the best way to keep up with everything going on, especially as the season gets close.
The 14th Annual NM Shakespeare Festival runs from June 7th through July 6th at Veterans Memorial Park in Albuquerque. To learn more information, visit nmshakes.org.
Comments