Despite the beginning-of-the-year bustle, the play is still the
thing.
At least it is for the UCLA Shakespeare Reading and Performance
Group. In existence since 1993, the group is a motley crew of
Bruins varying in age, race, discipline and association with the
university, but with one thing in common: the love of theater.
The troupe is currently performing “The Life and Death of
King John” through Oct. 12 in Charles E. Young Grand Salon in
Kerckhoff Hall. In addition to a number of “scene
nights,” the play marks the one big production the group puts
on per year.
According to Blake Middleton, a molecular biology staff research
associate for the Center of Health Sciences, who directs
“King John,” the cast of 20 has been working hard since
July, doing two- and three-hour rehearsals four or five days a
week. And even though it’s tough, rigorous work, it’s
still a source of enjoyment.
“It’s simply something we’re doing for
fun,” Middleton said. “We’re not pretending this
is no big deal, we’re treating it as seriously as we’re
capable of, but we’re not a professional company.”
Shawn Mason, a former Bruin, agreed with Middleton. “I
take the attitude that we’re here to have fun, so I
don’t stress about things.”
This fun and adventurous attitude is characteristic of the
troupe, which presents off-beat interpretations of the Bard’s
work. Among the zany repertoire of plays are “A Midsummer
Night’s Dream” done as a story about ’70s stoners
and “Julius Caesar” as a love story between Brutus and
Cassius.
With “King John,” however, the group is staying true
to the time of the piece; the novelty lies in the choice to do such
a rarely performed play. According to Middleton, there has been
only one production of “King John” in the past few
years that he was aware of, and that was in London.
“It’s just a very rare play,” Middleton said.
“We’ve attracted interest from people who just want to
see the play because they’ve never seen it.”
Middleton even described a woman in St. Louis who’s flying
to UCLA to see the show because she’s determined to see
performances of all of Shakespeare’s plays before she is 30
years old. She has one play and four months to go, and UCLA is the
only place she can find a performance of “King
John.”
But that woman and others shouldn’t expect the caliber of
the Royal Shakespeare Company when they come to see the show.
“We’re amateurs. We’re not pretending to be
professionals,” Middleton said. “But what we lack in
skill, ability or experience, we make up for in enthusiasm and
sheer love of the work.”
Classified as one of Shakespeare’s history plays, the
story follows King John’s struggle to retain the crown and
his dispute with Philip, the king of France.
“It’s good we’re doing this because of Iraq
““ just like King John’s conflict in the play, (George
W. Bush) is just going to war basically because he can, because of
9-11,” said Brian Willis, who has been with the group for
nine years.
In addition to provoking political thought, the troupe aims to
give its members varied experience and opportunities from directing
to costume design to acting.
Mary Behar, a second-year French and psychobiology student, gets
to explore her masculine side playing a male character in
“King John” and has also learned to use a sewing
machine working costumes.
Lockett enjoys the experimental, open nature of the group and
its productions.
“It’s the kind of group where you can come in and
say, “˜I want to try it like this’ and you can,”
Lockett said. “One day during rehearsals, we were doing the
same scene over and over again so we started playing King John as
Bela Lugosi, John Wayne and others. I think it lets you have fun
and lets you discover things that you can’t in the theater
department.”
THEATER: “King John” will be performed Oct. 10 and
11 at 8 p.m. Admission is free. Auditions for the fall scene night
are today from 7 to 10 p.m. in Ackerman 2410.