From the Globe Theatre to Preston Park
BUTLER TWP — While much has changed since the time of William Shakespeare, human nature has not, according to Deanna Sparrow, who taught courses on the playwright at Slippery Rock University.
She and her co-star, Drew Breslawski, said the bard’s humor, in particular, is timeless, even in one of his lesser-known plays, “The Merry Wives of Windsor.”
“It’s so funny. Oh my god, it’s funny,” Breslawski said.
The play follows Sir John Falstaff as he tries to court two married women in the hopes of gaining their husbands’ wealth.
“It’s very silly, farcical, ridiculous and frivolous,” Hobnob’s artistic director and founder Ken Smith said. “It’s one of (Shakespeare’s) plays that’s almost entirely in prose, so there’s less of a focus on romantic language.”
Breslawski, who plays Falstaff, is performing with Hobnob for the first time but specializes in Shakespeare. “It’s kind of my thing,” he said.
There are historical ties to performing Shakespeare outdoors, he said. It follows the tradition of the Globe Theatre where plays were originally performed with natural light and sound.
Sparrow, who plays Falstaff’s object of affection, Mistress Ford, said this type of stage setting allows actors to better see the audience and connect with them.
Hobnob has been performing Shakespeare plays in parks around Butler for more than 10 years.
“It’s a beautiful, quiet setting with not a lot of traffic noise,” Smith said. He also said the park is great for “promenade” shows, where the audience follows actors as they perform each scene in different spots. Hobnob performed this type of show in Preston Park previously.
Smith wrote an introduction that will be read prior to the show, which outlines the characters and plot to help make the story more accessible for modern viewers.
Even with a language barrier, Sparrow predicted that the audience will be able to relate to the desires and struggles of the characters.
“His work is, in many ways, the precursor to sitcoms,” she said of Shakespeare. “He just gets people.”
Hobnob Theatre Company will perform “The Merry Wives of Windsor” at 6:30 p.m. July 18 to 20 and 25 to 27 in Preston Park in Butler Township. Tickets cost $10 and can be purchased online at HobnobTheatre.Ludus.com or in person before the show.
