Shakespeare is a subject that anyone who ever went to school knows. However, Quinn’s Bar has an unusual take on the matter. They call themselves the Drunk Shakespeare Society, and boast that they “are a company of professional drinkers with a serious Shakespeare problem.” The idea is that one of the cast members will get drunk as the performance begins in order to “revive Shakespeare’s original intention.”
Having nearly no experience with Shakespeare’s work, (Aside from the plays and sonnets I was forced to read and memorize in high school) I was going into this performance a blank canvas, but knowing that alcohol can make nearly anything entertaining. Having mentioned that I’m not exactly a Shakespeare scholar, I forgot that it was written in old English (Or as I have been corrected, new English) the point is that I forgot how different it is. That being said, had I been reading the play I would have had to take the time to decipher what was going on, and as the actors of the Drunk Shakespeare Society pointed out, Shakespeare is not supposed to be read, it is supposed to be performed. Having these words transformed into something living and breathing, not to mention that it was “drunkified” totally changed my experience with Shakespeare. It also made parts of the performance hilarious. The cast prepares the audience with the fact that they have no problem deviating from the original piece, which gives the performance a feeling of improvisation.
It was obvious that all of the actors were well prepared, well read and committed to their parts. Every member of the cast was amazing. I have seen a lot of movies where I wonder how people got cast with such poor acting skills, but with this show that was not the case. You could see the professionalism and determination in their facial expression. And did I also mention they were hysterical?
I think the most fascinating aspect of the performance is the interaction between the cast and the audience. Not only did they get up close and personal during the performance, but after it was over they stayed and chatted with us. It was during this time that I learned how much they had actually studied Shakespeare’s work. Their love and knowledge of Shakespeare and the parts they played really made this performance.