Tryst & Snout
James Gordon's hillbilly musical adaptation of Shakespeare's "A
Midsummer Night's Dream."
Commissioned for "Shakespeare: Made In
Canada" Festival, Tryst & Snout is a two-act romp with thirty-one old-time
country and bluegrass songs and lots of comic hillbilly dialogue.
In this lively and fun-filled musical, a country dance band, "The
Hempen Homespun Boys," (Shakespeare's "Rude Mechanicals," Bottom,
Quince, Snout, Flute, Starveling, Snug and their new cousin Ellie May),
decide to put on their own musical version of "A Midsummer Night's
Dream," playing all the parts themselves. They get hired to perform
their work at Theseus Duke and Hippolyta's wedding reception. The
audience gets to watch the hapless rubes put on the entire play in their
own backwoods style, including hilarious scenes at Oberon and Titania's
swampy Honky-Tonk and brothel, where Bottom gets transformed into
an Elvis Impersonator! Reminiscent of the style made famous by the film
"O Brother Where Art Thou," the broad comedy of the play is tempered
by poignant duets featuring Shakespeare's four star-crossed lovers,
Hermia, Demetrius, Helena and Lysander.
The premiere production at Guelph's River Run Centre featured James along
with Ashley Condon, Geordie Gordon, Marion Linton, Jesse Turton, Sam Turton
and Jude Vadala. Presented by Gordon's "Pauper's Opera Company," Tryst &
Snout is scheduled to be restaged in 2010.
For more information, including commentary, photos, and a downloadable copy of the script, visit
www.canadianshakespeares.ca
Video and Photos
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