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| 9/1/2010 2:03:00 PM | Email this article • Print this article |
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| Penfold Theatre Company reported a good turnout for its recent Shakespeare spoof in Round Rock. |
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For Penfold, 'The play's the thing'
Theatre company anticipates future success in Round Rock
By LAURA DRELL
Special to the Leader
This August, the Penfold Theatre Company brought Shakespeare to Round Rock with their first performance north of Austin, "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)."
The theatre company recently moved to Round Rock, which members hope to make their permanent home, said Ryan Crowder, co-founder of Penfold, and "Shakespeare" was important as a first production.
"People are already accustomed to [seeing] 'Shakespeare' in the park; we wanted to create a festive, community environment," Crowder said.
Rather than performing just one of Shakespeare's plays, Penfold chose to do all 37 plays in a comedy spoof written by the Reduced Shakespeare Company.
"This Shakespeare isn't stuffy Shakespeare. It's a play for everybody," Crowder said.
Shakespeare's "Titus Andronicus" became a Southern style cooking show, in which "revenge is a dish best served with butter" said Penfold co-founder and actor Judd Farris as show host, Paula Andronicus. The history plays were all rolled into a single game of football - "it's just like football but you do it with a crown."
Other plays were preformed in a more traditional sense, even if abbreviated and inter-rupted by contemporary, improv-style comments from the actors.
"And thus with a kiss I die ... [actor belches] ... this moment brought to you by Arby's," Farris said at the end of the well-known tragedy, "Romeo and Juliet."
"I like the comedy twist," said audience member Saazina Afsah, a theater student at Westwood High school, "It's always interesting to see how different directors take Shakespeare."
More people turned out for the comedy than was expected, totaling around 1,300 people over the course of the play's three week run from Aug. 5 to Aug. 22, Crowder said.
With Penfold's move from Austin to Round Rock, Crowder wrote in the play's program that "'Complete Works' marks an important milestone for us, since it is our first full production to offer in the area we hope to make our long-term home."
Rachel Jackson, Round Rock, came out to the play on a date night with her husband and said that having an arts event in Round Rock is more convenient than driving to downtown Austin.
"We've got four kids, so less time with the baby-sitter is definitely better," she said.
Crowder said a lot of people drove from Round Rock, north Austin and and even south Austin to see the show.
Audience member Valerie Rogers lives in Austin, likes going to the theatre and was willing to drive north to see Penfold.
"I don't mind driving. [It's] worth the drive," Rogers said.
The Penfold Theatre Company's next show, "Going with Jenny," will run in January 2011. For tickets or information about Penfold's shows or theatre classes running this fall, visit penfoldtheare.org.
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