Scenes, sonnets and soliloquies Hilo Community Players present 40th year of Shakespeare in the Park The Hilo Community Players will present some of William Shakespeare’s bestloved scenes, sonnets and soliloquies for the 40th anniversary of Shakespeare in the Park with “The Best of the Bard, Too!” throughout the month in Kalakaua Park. The show opens at 7:30 p.m. today. Additional performances are slated for 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through July 29 and 2:30 p.m. Sunday and July 23. Also look for the Kid Shakes shows featuring a cast of teenage actors in “Mmmbeth” this month, too. The first “Best of the Bard” performance marked HCP’s 30th anniversary in 2007. A decade later, this production continues the tradition with scenes from “Julius Caesar,” “Othello,” “Henry IV,” “The Tempest,” “The Merchant of Venice,” “Romeo and Juliet” and others. Selections center around themes of loyalty and friendship. Cathy McPherson-Tampos, president of the HCP board of directors, is the show’s producer and one of five directors. The cast of 17 actors for “Best of the Bard, Too!” range in age from 19-79 and includes retirees, college students, small-business owners, teachers, service industry workers, a medical doctor and tire salesperson. Shakespeare put on paper human experiences that still speak to us today: …“the duplicity of relationships, the fickleness of loyalty and the strength of human love in all its forms — the love of a parent, the love of a sister, the love of a friend, the love of a lover,” McPherson-Tampos says. The production features a little comedy, a little drama, some Hawaii Tribune-Herald betrayal, a pillow fight, a chant, a rap and lots of poetic fun. “The beauty of our talented ensemble cast is their incredible ability to bring the words of Shakespeare to life,” McPherson-Tampos says. “Shakespeare should be performed, not just read. This cast transforms those weird-sounding phrases into understandable By KATIE YOUNG YAMANAKA Special to the Tribune-Herald Actors rehearse for the Kid Shakes performance of “Mmmbeth.” See PERFORMANCE Page 9
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