10 hrs ago
Days after Marion County Parks and Recreation Commissionâs sponsored performance of Shakespeareâs âTwelfth Nightâ at Palatine Park, I continue to be appreciative for the show. Performed by âThe Rustic Mechanicals-West Virginia's Shakespeare Troupe,â the groupâs stated goal of presenting the play the way Shakespeare would have done if he were alive today was achieved.
One reason Shakespearean performances seem so sterile and boring today is that the humorous, often lewd depictions, as well as musical interludes, of the original performances are usually omitted from todayâs literal presentations.
Of course, if the additional comedic and musical portions were included along with the entire play, it would last an entire afternoon. Audiences in Shakespeareâs time came to his shows the way some people attend a carnival or watch back-to-back football games on TV.