BY DIANNA MACLEOD
PHOTOS BY MICHAEL STADLER
Whidbey Island Magazine Contributor
July 16, 2014
— A winged muse on stilts.
— Sonnets delivered in dulcet tones.
“Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds…”
— Bawdy insults issued from the mouth of a villain.
“Apish bald-pated abomination!”
“Wanton, motley-minded horn-beast!
— Dozens of Venetian masks awaiting revelers to animate them.
— A bewitching, bejeweled seer offering to make sense of your past and advise you on your future.
— Period music played by costumed musicians.
All this, and more, beneath the orange-and-white stripes of a tent named Henry.
So it was—at Island Shakespeare Festival’s Bard’s Ball on July 13 where supporters gathered to raise funds to assist ISF in mounting its fifth, and most ambitious, season to include: two plays in repertory, theatre training for young adults (and their very own production), guest directors and off-island actors in residence.
What would the Bard himself say about the delightful deception known as masquerade?
“God has given you one face, and you make yourself another.”
Or perhaps,
“We know what we are, but know not what we may be.”
If you missed the Bard’s Ball, be sure to join Island Shakespeare Festival for its upcoming season.
Or risk accusation, oh motley-minded horn beast.
“The Importance of Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde continues its run Thursday, July 17 and Friday, July 18 in the carousel-striped tent at 723 Camano Ave. in Langley at 5 p.m. This is the first production of the newly formed Classic Conservatory for Young Adults. Admission is free, with a pass-the-hat donation after each performance that supports the program.
The ISF season officially opens with a Wild West treatment of “The Taming of the Shrew” on July 26 at 5 p.m. in the carousel striped tent at 723 Camano Ave. in Langley. Beginning August 8 and every Friday, Saturday and Sunday thru September 7, audiences can take advantage of “The Taming of the Shrew” and “Richard III.” For information, please call 360-331-1939 or check www.islandshakespearefest.org for performance schedules. Admission is free.
Image at top: Cast member Andrew Yabroff
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