CSM artist-in-residence to present commissioned Shakespeare-inspired play
College of Saint Mary artist-in-residence Marshall B Garrett is putting the final touches on his Shakespeare-inspired production of “Sweet are the Uses.”
Garrett spent the spring semester teaching theater production classes at CSM, sharing his experiences as a director trained in Shakespearean performances. He also incorporated some of that training into the student theatrical experience. Next week, Garrett will direct the theater production class students in “Sweet are the Uses,” which he commissioned for College of Saint Mary. The production was written by playwright Merlyn Q. Sell – and William Shakespeare.
“I almost always cast more women than a script that I’m doing inherently calls for, and that’s quite deliberate,” says Garrett. “So I loved when this opportunity came up, when one of the conditions that it was an all-female show.”
Commissioning a feature that includes only female players was a perfect fit not only for the class, but for the CSM production, as well. It also contains some interesting and complex twists in the dialogue.
“The text of the play is really remarkable,” says Garrett. “The prologue is a mixed parody of both the opening speech from “Henry V” and the theme song from “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.”
But he adds that most of the dialogue are lines from Shakespeare, sourced from the entire canon.
“There’s one particularly remarkable speech that begins with a song from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” moves to King Lear being reunited with his daughter, moves to Coriolanus’ mother, a brief line from “As You Like It’s” wrestler, then shifts to Juliet’s Nurse, Leonato at his daughter’s wedding in “Much Ado about Nothing,” then back to “As You Like It,” then back to the Nurse, and finally to the good Duke in “As You Like It.”
Garrett says he’s probably leaving something out. But the entire play is structured that same way, he adds, “and it’s seamless!”
The play is set in the Forest of Arden, where five of Shakespeare’s erstwhile heroines have sought safety after being banished from court by an authoritarian and corrupt Duke. The five meet in the forest and work to overcome obstacles, until they prove “Sweet are the uses of adversity,” a line from Shakespeare’s “As You Like It.” The finale provides a crescendo of forgiveness, redemption and joy.
Garrett has previously served as a guest artist, and has worked in artist-management positions but says that to be exclusively a guest artist-in-residence is a new experience. The theater director, Shakespearean scholar and instructor is excited to present the commissioned production with students and staff.
