“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely
players” – these famous lines from “As You Like It” open “Project
1599”, an epic four-in-one retrospective of the plays that William Shakespeare
wrote in the year of 1599. Inspired by James Shapiro’s book, “A Year in the
Life of William Shakespeare” (2005), the director Jim Niesen combined “Henry
V”, “Julius Caesar”, “As You
Like It” and “Hamlet” into one, almost five-hour long, theatrical evening.
photo by Nat Nicols
Six actors: Joey Collins, Michael-David Gordon,
Terry Greiss, Sam Metzger, Alex Spieth and Katie Wieland play multiple parts.
Dressed in monochrome modern day clothes by the costume designer Hilarie
Blumenthal, the actors smoothly transition from one character to another,
changing gender and age as easily as Shakespeare’s characters do in some of his
plays.
Racks with costumes and tables with props stand
along the wall. And as there is virtually no separation between the stage and the
backstage, the border between the audience and the actors gradually starts to
blur. Each of the four plays occupies a different corner of the Irondale Center,
a former Sunday school auditorium in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. The use of varied
seating arrangements, along with moving from one location to another, provided
a unique experience in the effects of manipulating physical space. This changed
how the play is perceived and altered the interaction between the audience and
actors.
When you enter the space arranged for the first
play of the evening, “Henry V”, you find yourself in a mostly traditional set:
chairs are placed on the platforms and around small tables, making a U-shape
auditorium around the stage aria marked by the red outline. Alex Spieth, as
Henry V, was full of boyish eagerness both in the war camp and princess
Katherine’s chambers.
As
we move from the story of the young idealist, Henry V, to the story about “real
politics”, “Julius Caesar”, we climb up to the gallery to take seats on various
sofas, chairs and stools scattered around. Some of the scenes will take place
next to you or even around you, making you feel a part of the conspiracy. Brutus
(Michael-David Gordon)
addressing the members of the audience as people belonging to the world of the
play only amplifies the effect of participation.
photo by Nat Nicols
Some
of the scenes will take place far from you or even behind you, so you will be stretching
and leaning from side to side to see the action on the other side of the
gallery. In contrast to the situation where Brutus and others plot against
Caesar right next to you, you suddenly feel excluded and suspicious. These two
distinctly different points of view almost give you the opportunity to experience
the play as two different people.
The
audience is ushered downstairs again for the longer intermission, during which
a delicious vegetarian dinner is served. Everybody is welcome to take one of
the seats on the podiums or to recline on a giant carpet spread around to mark
the stage aria. The white sails hung above the war theater in the first “act”
are down now and are reminiscent of picnic tents in a garden. The romantic
comedy, “As you Like It”, suddenly starts, and goes by fast, as much needed
relief from the serious drama.
For
the final act of the evening, “Hamlet”, chairs are set up along three sides of
the of the stage aria. The vastness of the theater is shrunk to the small
intimate space where every single audience member can see each other, and is
vulnerably open to the piercing gaze of Joey Collins, playing Hamlet descending into madness. He is
the only character that sees and directly addresses the audience, besides the Gravedigger,
making us nothing other than ghosts.
photo by Nat Nicols
“Project
1599”, despite the edits of the plays, provides an excellent presentation of
the most fruitful year in the life of Shakespeare. The wonderful cast demonstrates
refreshing clarity in both articulation and performance, which makes the piece
a potent educational tool. The spatial work by Jim Niesen, and the scenic
designers Ken Rothchild and Meredith Cody,
is remarkable in its simple elegance and ability to establish a
connection with the audience. Watching the actors transform into different
characters from play to play is also a rare and valuable opportunity.
“Project 1599” is playing at the Irondale Center at
85 South Oxford street, Brooklyn through February
3rd. Performances are on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 7pm, Saturdays
at 5pm. Running time: 4 hours 30 minutes. Tickets are available online. General admission
tickets are $40 ($50 with dinner), $30 for students and seniors ($40 with
dinner).
