It is my favorite time of year. Shakespeare is going on in the Park. Despite the rain and mosquitoes I have already been 3 times and I am scheduled to go twice more this weekend.
This year is "Twelfth Night" and "Othello". It is great to see John Kirkpatrick have a predominate role again on the stage - he is my local celebrity crush. The past few years he has been directing, which I have really enjoyed, but to see him act again is a thrill.
My favorite part of Shakespeare this season has been seeing John Ulyatt bring "Iago" to life. I think Iago is Shakespeare's best villain. Many of the villains in Shakespeare are either decent guys who make really bad choices or whiny jerks like Don John in "Much Ado About Nothing". But Iago is a different breed of villain. Iago is a master of manipulation and has an uncanny ability to plant seeds into people's minds which grow jealousy, doubt and anger. In this day and age he would probably get diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder and end up on my caseload. John Ulyatt does an amazing job and really does the character justice. I am already excited to watch him again tomorrow.
So if you haven't been yet to the park you really should go. The last show is July 24.
