The second year for The Crude Mechanicals will be twice as nice.
The upstart theater company debuted last year with the mission of presenting Shakespeare in the park with a particular goal of accessibility, both in terms of cost -- free -- and style.
FAQ
The Crude Mechanicals present ‘The Tempest’
WHEN — 7 p.m. today & Sunday
WHERE — Gulley Park in Fayetteville
COST — Free
INFO — facebook.com/thecru…
"Last year went really well. We got great feedback," says Zach Stolz, one of the founding members of the company.
The idea comes back this year but in expanded form. Last year featured one show tackled by four actors. This year's run presents two shows and at least twice as many actors. The first of the two shows, "The Tempest," debuted Tuesday and runs through Sunday with free performances in Fayetteville's Gulley Park. "Twelfth Night" follows on yet-to-be-decided dates in mid-July.
When discussing what show to pick this year, Stolz and co-founder Haley Zega both talked of expansion. They settled for a compromise -- he got a run of his favorite Shakespearean work, "The Tempest," and she likewise will see her favorite when "Twelfth Night" runs.
The expansion also presents itself in the scope of the production. Last year's offering of "Romeo and Juliet" featured just four actors, all taking multiple parts.
"We make them simple, and boil them down to their essence," Stolz says. Larger group moments in the 2015 selections meant having more actors made sense.
Still, the work of all of the actors is tremendous. Stolz takes on three roles during "The Tempest." He jumps between characters using costuming elements and by placing the characters in the low, middle and high parts of his vocal register.
After Sunday's closing night performance of "The Tempest," the company will start rehearsals on "Twelfth Night" the following day, Stolz says.
-- Kevin Kinder
NAN What's Up on 06/05/2015