If “fat, drunk, and stupid is not way to go through life” then how about sassy, drunk, and performing Shakespeare? The newest twist on Shakespeare sees his plays being performed drunk on stage at the A.R.T.’s experimental space at the Oberon in Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA and in the midst of a crowded bar in Minneapolis, MN. Sh*tfaced Shakespeare and BARd Shakes popped up in college towns with just the right audiences for such events–trendy students and alumni hoping to stay trendy.
While audiences and actors imbibe, actors are forced to improvise around fellow players’ and waitstaff’s missed cues and quite literal missteps. The unpredictability may bear a greater resemblance to improv than traditionally scripted theater. And that’s okay. In Shakespeare’s day, actors spent very little time rehearsing and were heckled by audiences holding standing-room-only tickets. So who’s to say what’s traditional when it comes to Shakespeare?
You may not gain a deeper understanding of a Shakespearean comedy acted by drunken performers. Then again, maybe you will. The raw emotion that shines out of these uninhibited players could be a learning experience for all involved. It may not be up to par with Dean Vernon Wermer’s academic expectations. But it’s an A+ in my book.
Visualizing Shakespeare 