Welcome

Once, during Prohibition, I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water.

W.C. Fields  

And so begins our work on 12th Night, the season opener at the Kingsmen Shakespeare Festival.  As you may have heard, we'll be setting our production in the late 1920's in a country that - curiously enough like our own - had declared prohibition on the manufacture, storage, and sale of alcoholic beverages.  At the top of the list of reasons for this staging choice would be the potential it creates for the music, mostly performed by our clown, Feste.  This allows him to be a kind of vaudeville performer, a professional crooning comic, wise to the ways of show business.  Additionally, this time period - nearing the end of prohibition - enables us to frame Malvolio as a "dry", in direct opposition to the "wet" Sir Toby.  Their quarrel takes on a rivalry rooted in politics and religion - what better things are there to fight about?

As with previous "high concept" productions, we need to be careful about assuming the play is set in the United States; obviously, it 'aint.   Doing that would require too much manipulation of the script, and making some changes that we don't really want to make.  Illyria is a strange place to Viola, and one that she spends some time getting to know.  So to will our audience will spend time discovering the similarities and differences between the land of Duke Orsino and the land of (someone like) William Hale Thompson, the mayor of Chicago in 1928.  Here's a difference:  Probably unlike Orsino, Thompson had a wicked sense of humor.  He once coordinated and participated in a live debate between himself and two caged rats, which he referred to by his opponent's names.  Politics is less fun nowadays.

We are aided by the exemplary and thorough work of our Dramaturg, Constance Semponis, who fills my inbox with fantastic pictures from, descriptions of, and commentary on life in the latter part of the 1920's.  I know that - much like Bourbon - there are all different types of Actors, each with their own style of preparation.  For those of you who like a lot of research, this blog is for you, and I'll keep it updated with images and text that might be helpful.  For those of you who don't care much for this type of help, Constance and I won't be offended in the least if you don't look at any pictures.

The blog will also be a way to stay in contact with you through the month of May as the cut script gets finalized, music gets composed, fight weaponry get decided, and my boys - ages 6 and 4 - do something adorable that warrants me to share a picture.  You should also feel free to contact me:  kevinpkern@gmail.com with questions, comments, suggestions, or even if you just feel like talking about the show.

12th Night holds a special place for me, and I am thrilled to be coming back to Kingsmen to direct this production.  Working in close quarters on a shortened schedule with professionals is always thrilling to me, and I am particularly excited to tell this story with all of you.

With all best wishes for a restful spring!

Kevin