The 2013 Winter Shakespeare Festival, hosted by Shakespeare Miami, came to Pinecrest Gardens’s Banyan Bowl on Jan. 11 and will run until Jan 20.
The festival is geared towards an audience of all ages and will feature a full-scale production of “Twelfth Night.” Shakespeare Miami advertised the show as “a tale of a shipwreck, cross-dressing lovers, sassy servants and the greatest practical joke ever played! Set in the Roaring 20’s and featuring live jazz music and dance.”
“Twelfth Night” is one of Shakespeare’s most famous comedies. It features a love triangle that goes horribly wrong. Its complexities, odd occurrences, and jokes have made it a favorite among many Shakespeare scholars and fans.
There will also be pre-show lectures before three select performances, for $5 each per participant.
The first pre-show discussion, entitled, “Gender-bending: Politics, Cross-dressing and The Elizabethan Stage,” was on Jan. 12. This discussion exposed the motives and influences behind Shakespeare’s stories and the reason why all actors in the Globe Theater were male.
The second pre-show discussion, on Jan. 13, was called “Rosemary for Remembrance: Flowers, Herbs, Magic and the Medicine in the Time of Shakespeare.” Modern anatomy and battlefield medicine were both founded in the Elizabethan age, and Shakespeare cited medical diseases and process in his work, such as birth in Romeo and Juliet, quite frequently.
The last pre-show discussion is scheduled for Jan. 20 at 3 p.m., and it is entitled “Villains andVixens: The Bad Boys and Girls of Shakespeare.” From the deceitful Claudius in “Hamlet”, to Lady Macbeth in “Macbeth”, this discussion will explore the multitude of complex Shakespeare characters.
The Winter Shakespeare Festival will also feature a short, fast-paced, interactive play, aimed at interesting newcomers to Shakespeare, especially middle school and high school students.
For more information, including tickets and scheduling, call Shakespeare Miami at 305-669-6990 or visit www.shakespearemiami.com .
