See Shakespeare and Wilde comedies in Elgin
Two classics, two directors, one theater company, one month. It’s a challenge, but one Janus Theatre Company director, Sean Hargadon, is excited to present to the Elgin area community.
Janus will perform alternating productions of Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest” and Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” throughout the month of August.
Wilde’s play opened Thursday, Aug. 4, with Shakespeare’s to follow on Thursday, Aug. 11. Each show will get its own opening weekend, but for the remainder of the month, actors and directors will alternate performances for the Thursday through Sunday schedule.
Those who are already well acquainted with the classic shows will get to see a new take on the stories through the eyes of the Janus directors.
“The fun thing about classic plays is you can always reinterpret them and re-imagine them,” said Hargadon, who is directing “Twelfth Night.”
“It’s not about being traditional.”
Terry Domschke directs “The Importance of Being Earnest,” which is set in the 1920s, with full stage designs and furniture and props to match.
Though Janus has performed a number of tragedies over the years, both directors look forward to the lighter mood of the chosen comedies.
“I think people will be happy at the end of it,” Domschke said. “That’s a nice thing for summer theater, to go out happy.”
Still, the themes of both shows deal with mistaken identity and a serious tone underlies a more comedic mood.
“Twelfth Night” doesn’t have a specific time period, and Hargadon said it has an exotic location. The goal was to create a feeling of opulence and leisure, Hargadon said. And the show has been modified and adapted to fit the space and expected audience.#147;The main thing is accessibility to the audience,#148; Hargadon said. #147;When I direct Shakespeare I try to make it very cinematic.#148;
Hargadon said it takes a lot of resources to produce two shows simultaneously, but the 20 actors and the production team have risen to the challenge.
Performances will be at 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays, through Aug. 28, at the Elgin Art Showcase, 164 Division St., on the eighth floor, Elgin. Tickets are $15 and can be reserved by calling (847) 841-1713.