Show ' '"'Vt'yV i n JW P®t week a group of five theater professionals ': from the British Isles have been roaming the halls of our “ own local ivoiy tower sharing their experiences talents '' and a collective love of Shakespeare ! John Nettleton Stuart Fbx Elizabeth Hunan Matt v Radford and Anna Northam are part of die "Acton fioin' the London Stage” program that has been making its American rounds for nearly 27 years vow-rji- "We’re all punch drunk” Radford said£p ‘"You get to the point of exhaustion You’re welcomed everywhere you go and by the mid p ?" ' y ‘V £ V — — im m11 MU Mk' kai W 'v' tunity towitness professional quality performances and gf fix fee acton it’s a chance to crisscross fee United States' £r awhile still “It’s a rare opportunity fesee America 'in ’some' Not thes specifically of course & "iiS'v! j£vltThis is the third year fee tour has ' made a stop at Utah S f which most actors don’t have a chance to do”Nettleton State University and of the Current group Radford is fee’SVsaid'V' And feoiusbn also have Jmofterrareoppoity feat r4iir vi lectures In addition to their grueling scfaedule of class may surprise American audience members i ' “What workshops and performances fee acton bring with them X? you meet in America particularly is this ! ls nomenon called fee standing ovation which is viriuaUyf? fv' production of Shakespeare's “Measure for unknown in England” Nettkton said “Audiences readily Measure” to be performed Friday and Saturday night ' Oct24 and 25 at the Morgan Theatre The production is fV stand up at the end of fee show whichi is vety heartwarmfe v barebones guupiy because they have to pack it around on ing fix fee acton involved” ' :V X& Adfetioiially fee tour provides fee impetus to examine '4 airplanes i p - rii- detuL: yrepoffend?s? pte S p no-fril- :5 ':&£v':?Wecat 0 everything” Ri fix a few chain and tables that people can provide you with1 hit it’s got to ben minimum" ’ in ways they hadn’t previously':5t£'''t'r “This a completely different way of doing wnk because you’re engaged "Himan saidYouhave W ous trouble Luckily Stuart (Fox) plays guitar so we used fed We at first tried to askif umversi- - G American actor about his craft he’ll be off for days: But fix us it’s just say your lines and then go have a h ties could provide the guitar’ £r&$Sp: ’ drink in the pub But that’s just an image we put out It’s seemed “No university anywhere to have a guitar” fee nonchalance of the Englishman Wife this tour you Hunan $?: YV “It must be an insurance thing" Radford said “Break a ' have to force yourself to say what it is you do” y 7::Y "r said'?i'S : ! "string and mid up in court We ended up having to tour a w guitar but it was a good idea We get to find sticken wherever we go to put on fee caw which is very impor' v r V Cf tant” -- a But fee minimalism an is by necessity important aspect to this touring production Northam explained that too often at least in ha experience Shakespeare productions are more about fee production than fee Shakespeare “A lot of times directors do ’concept Shakespeare’” : she said “With big lavish productions fee language ceas- es to mean anything I think Shakespeare’s language scares a lot of directors I think they say ’If I just build a big set and have a lot of fancy clothes then nobody will realize that I don’t understand Shakespeare and then hopefully the actors will come up wife something’” By forcing themselves to bring only what is necessary to the stage the Bard’s wads stand on their own “That’s why this production is so brilliant” Northam said “It is very much about fee language People can come to listen rather than look Of course there are visual gags that have to go in but I think you should be able wife to do Shakespeare on fee street in jeans and a no props” ‘ T-sh-irt ' V Street Shakespeare' The group left London nine weeks ago and they have the tired glow of people who are working hard doing i something they love v Sometimes this can lead to a little culture shock as J Nettleton fee elder statesman of fee group explained “I was asked rather solemnly this morning what vocal exercises I used before I wait on stage” he chuclded “and I was forced to say feat I drink a cup of coffee and ' yvi go on" “I would have said go outride and smoke afag (ciga" V' rette)” Radford quipped Fbx said feat at first the classroom aspect of the tour was daunting “We’re actos not teachers” he said “We were all very nervous of doing classes at the outset but it can be V very rewarding” So the robing experience becomes a teaming experience as well “Unfortunately we don’t learn our Shakespeare the way we used to” Radford said “We don’t know iambic pentameter and we only get to know him by teaching other people quite frankly” But spreading die good word about Shakespeare is one of the tour’s central goals : “Look at Shakespeare’s imagery and his mastery of the language” Northam said “We use such a tiny fraction of those words and the language has depleted so much With television and computer games I think he’s essential If you want to completely reject Shakespeare at least you’ve opened up your mind up to do so” v - Nettleton does a Charles Dickens reading on Tuesday |