Shakespeare under the stars

Patrick Waller, Eric Pasto-Crosby, Kahle Reardon, Kate Siegel

Nestled in the heart of Bedford County, Bell Buckle has long been known for its charming shops and Southern hospitality. But thanks to Lane Davies and the Tennessee Shakespeare Festival, Bell Buckle also is building a reputation for professional theater.

More than 1,200 people helped kick off the Festival’s inaugural season last summer, which featured A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This year, Davies and company are presenting two productions on the campus of The Webb School.

“We really didn’t have our marketing act together last year, so we found that a lot of people missed out on Midsummer,” said Davies, a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University who is best known for his long-running role as Mason Capwell on the TV show Santa Barbara. “So we decided to bring that show back, along with a frontier version of Romeo and Juliet, set just after the French and Indian War.”

Davies’ take on A Midsummer Night’s Dream also is a bit unconventional, set in the deep South in the 1930s.

“I started playing with the dialogue using a Southern accent — and it just worked,” he said with a laugh. “And I liked the idea of setting the story among the ruins of an old plantation, with ghosts of the Civil War in place of fairies.”

Still, Davies — who calls the cast list a “who’s who” from Tennessee Repertory Theatre and other Nashville stage veterans — insists that such a fresh approach in no way compromises the Bard’s original intent.

“I’m really a traditionalist at heart,” he said. “It’s important that the play fit into the concept and not the other way around. For example, with Romeo and Juliet, I wanted a period that would capture both the emotional elements and the hostilities and violence of the story. I thought of the film The Last of the Mohicans and felt it fit nicely with the romanticism of Romeo and Juliet.”

And what could be more romantic than an evening of Shakespeare under the stars?

“The location is perfect — an easy drive from Nashville where families can relax and enjoy either tent seating or bring their own blanket and picnic,” Davies said. “You could make a day of it, with a little antiquing, lunch at the Bell Buckle Café and then catch the show.”

What: A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Romeo and Juliet
When: Picnic grounds open at 6 p.m., with the performance starting at 8 p.m. July 3-5, 10-12, 16-19
Where: The Webb School, 319 Webb Road, Bell Buckle (parking is off Abernathy Street in downtown Bell Buckle)
Cost: $10 in advance or $15 at the gate for premium seating (under the tent with chairs), festival seating is $5 at the gate, children 12 and younger are free
Info: tennesseeshakespearefestival.com
• Chairs, blankets, picnics and alcohol are allowed. A variety of vendors and concessions will be available for sale, as well.