The Bard proves his relevance with ‘Shakespeare’s Case’

Nan Gurley, Denice Hicks, Brian Webb Russell, Jon Royal star in 'Shakespeare's Case.'
 

Some people read about a disturbing trend or hot-button issue, and sound off anonymously on the global blogosphere. (Or maybe these days, they “tweet” — I can’t keep up.) Denice Hicks, on the other hand, hooks up with some friends and writes a play.

The disturbing trend in question? Recent studies indicating that undergraduates actually can earn a degree in English without ever taking a course devoted to the works of William Shakespeare.

“When I first heard about this, I thought ‘How can this be? How is this possible?’” said Hicks, artistic director for the Nashville Shakespeare Festival. “But it turns out that there are many respected universities across the country that do not require English majors to take a course in Shakespeare.”

Naturally, Hicks suspected that Shakespeare might have something to say about such a preposterous idea. The result is Shakespeare’s Case, a humorous piece that enlists the Bard himself to prove his relevance to a modern audience. Written by Nan Gurley, Denice Hicks, and Claire Syler, Shakespeare’s Case was developed for NSF’s educational outreach, funded in part by The Metro Arts Commission Creation Grant program and The Tennessee Arts Commission’s Arts Build Communities program.

Set in a modern-day courtroom, Shakespeare is charged with being “boring, confusing and irrelevant in the 21st century.” The complaining witness, an English professor, moves to have Shakespeare’s works permanently stricken from the curriculum. But in a surprise turn, the world’s most quoted playwright takes the stand on his own behalf.

“We have Shakespeare defending his work using his own language, quoting over 20 plays and sonnets,” Hicks explained. “For those who love Shakespeare, it will be fun to hear him using the words of King Lear, and Constance and Friar Lawrence to prove his case. But even if you don’t know Shakespeare — or you think you hate him — there’s no denying the impact he continues to have on our everyday language and culture. No one can express the human experience quite like Shakespeare.”

Shakespeare’s Case opens Friday night with a private performance and world premiere party that includes a red carpet reception, pre-show entertainment, and a door prize drawing. Two public performances also are scheduled for Saturday.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” Hicks said. “And proceeds help support our annual Shakespeare in the Park production, keeping summer performances free to the public.”

What: Shakespeare’s Case
When: World premiere party and private performance at 6:30 p.m. Friday with two public performances at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Belmont University’s Troutt Theater, 2100 Belmont Blvd.
Cost: $100 for Friday’s performance; $15 for adults, $14 for seniors, $8 for students for Saturday performance
Info: nashvilleshakes.org, ticketsnashville.com, 255-2273