Shakespeare in the Parking Lot
April 23, 2021
Photo courtesy of The Drilling Company
How did you spend William Shakespeare’s 457th
birthday? I spent it at The Drilling Company’s
Shakespeare in the Parking Lot celebration at The Clement (107 Norfolk). Yes, I attended my first live theatre performance
in over a year. It was outdoors,
spacious, everyone wore masks (actors and audience), and Shakespeare was
performed and celebrated.
If you’ve read this blog before, you know of my respect and admiration for the work of The Drilling Company. Their Shakespeare in the Parking Lot productions have presented FREE summer Shakespeare on the Lower East Side for twenty-five years. You might have seen them in Bryant Park Shakespeare in recent years. This William Shakespeare birthday celebration was an outstanding evening of songs, scenes, and soliloquies. It started with the conjuring of three witches from the Scottish Play, and ended with Puck’s ”If we shadows have offended…” One scene seamlessly blended into the next, filling the audience with joy from both the recognition of these recreations of past productions and the healing energy of the long-missed communal theatre experience.
Director Hamilton Clancy is gifted in making Shakespeare engaging and accessible for a wide range of audience members. He is dedicated to making quality performances FREE to the public. He gathers a masterful troupe of skilled actors every season. The cast of veteran Drilling Company actors in this celebration were enthralling. They recreated their former roles and gave a sneak peek into what is being considered for this coming summer. Yes, they will be back this summer both at The Clement (on the Lower East Side) and at Bryant Park. Planning is still underway so check their website (drillingcompany.org) for up to date information. Keep in mind that seating will probably be limited due to social distancing, so even though ALL performance are FREE, reservation will need to be made in advance.
Domenick Danza
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