This weekend and the next are your last chances for catching 3rd Act Theatre Company’s Drunk Classics: Much Ado About Drinkin’.
A Shakespearean comedy with a drunken twist adapted by Kate Adams and directed by Dakota Lee Bryant, the cast of eight is ready to engage.
The rules are simple: patrons vote on one cast member to be the designated drinker. The one chosen is provided up to three alcoholic beverages to imbibe during the performance. Audience members can then bid on improv edits throughout the performance, but donations (which go straight to the theatre company) are not mandatory and patrons have the option to simply sip and enjoy the show or add to the shenanigans.
The director designates one or more actors to draw a prompt from the donation categories, then actors must perform the rest of the scene, whether death or monologue while incorporating a vast array of improv.
This isn’t the first Drunk Classics for many members, but includes some newcomers. Malachi Campbell is Don Pedro, Bailey Lucien is Don John, Kate Adams is Beatrice and Kenneth Chambers is Benedick. Maddie Loury is Hero, Stephen Butts is Claudio, Thor Bautz is Leonato and Chelsey Gonzales is Margaret.
Based on Much Ado About Nothing, the plot may be harder to follow for the more casual Shakespeare fans, but following finite details is not exactly required. Drunk Classics’ strength is remaining true to the spirit of archetypal theatre without taking itself too seriously.
Moment of note: Kate Adams as the Drinker has a breathtaking moment in the second act, never missing a step as she recites some of the most complex of Shakespearean prose with passion, fury, and drink in hand.
This is the Shakespeare you know done in a way you’ve never seen. Artistic license and safe exploration are given free reign and the self-deprecating irreverence of the social commentary is both cathartic and genuinely entertaining.
Drunk Classics: Much Ado About Drinkin’ performs at Anthem Brewing July 14, Roughtail Brewing Co. on July 15 and Angry Scotsman Brewing on July 21 and 22. Seating is limited, so purchasing advance tickets is highly encouraged.
Visit 3rdacttheatreco.com
