Shakespeare Dallas Dismisses Bard

Troupe to open summer season with non-Shakespearian play

Commentary
by Bruce Felps

Enjoy a good Shakespearian play? Yes?

Well, then, avoid the summer season opener of this year’s Shakespeare in the Park series.

Shakespeare Dallas, commemorating its 40th year, opted to open the Shakespeare in the Park season with “Cyrano de Bergerac,” written by Edmond Rostand who was born — on April Fool’s Day no less, and there’s your trivia for the day — about 252 years after Shakespeare died.

That seems somewhat akin to the next session of the Texas Legislature opening with a high school student council meeting or the NFL kicking off next season with an arena league matchup, which might just happen given the state of labor negotiations.

Anyway, “Cyrano” is a fine play and all — Steve Martin gave it a delightful turn — but it’s not Shakespeare, and presumably theater fans attending a Shakespeare Dallas production would expect a Shakespearian performance.

It’s a bold move on the part of Shakespeare Dallas producers, so good luck to them.

Let’s hope, for their sakes, it doesn’t leave a damned spot on an otherwise fine reputation.


Bruce Felps owns and operates East Dallas Times, an online community news outlet serving the White Rock Lake area. Yeah, when it comes to Shakespearian references and quotes he’s got little to nothing. Theatrical Philistine.
 

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