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I went to England last month seeking space from what I’m calling “American Burnout,” and I returned with a new idea - exactly one year after we began the weeklong rehearsal process for Hamlet at La MaMa in NYC. When the muse descends, it feels like the combination of a sustained electric shock and the moment when a rollercoaster gives in to gravity at the apex of its track. I must act. And things happen quickly. For me it feels like the real living. Please meet Junkyard Shakespeare (i.e. Shakespeare in the Dingle): a fancy way to put on a show in my backyard with some of the most dedicated Shakespeareans I know (who also happen to be my friends and my mom - yes, King Duncan fans, get excited). When my partner bought this house five years ago, the backyard was overgrown, shrouded by invasive plants, and full of broken kitchen appliances. He immediately began hauling junk metal out by the dumpster-full, and has transformed the “dingle” into the most beautiful woodland wonderland. It is begging for an immersive theatre experience. I am very hesitant to start a thing that sounds like it has no end (Bottom’s dream anyone?) - hence my last few projects being one-offs and not the start of a theatre company, but perhaps I’ve learned a thing or two about marketing over the last few years. So, Junkyard will begin its life (whatever that turns out to be) with a performance of As You Like It this November in our little Arden in Northampton, MA. I’ve started a landing page for the show here. Information will be made available there as the details reveal themselves. As a departure from the model I adopted for Macbeth and Hamlet, I will be charging admission this time. Ticket revenue will be split evenly amongst the cast. There is a “tickets” button on the landing page where you can sign up to receive notifications about when they go on sale. In turn, I will not be launching a large crowdfunding campaign, but I have started a “buy-me-a-coffee” style website to support the show. The idea behind this site is that you’re encouraged to contribute the amount of a coffee: or $5. That’s it! Any contributions we receive there will go towards housing for actors traveling from out of town, and towards subsidized tickets for fellow actors and farmers (my past life). Thank you for being here and for your support. Here’s to making our own joy in the junkyard that is an uncertain world.
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