The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkpr (Abridged) put on by the San Luis Obispo Little Theatre was literally a hoot. The ginormous man sitting next to me expressed his amusement with the play through continuous “owl like” laughter the entire time. His chuckle was not an annoyance to me but rather a form of appreciated reinforcement that we were both enjoying an extremely hilarious play. I had the pleasure of attending the play on its final weekend with my mom who does not easily convey outward enjoyment. I was pleasantly surprised that within the first five minutes of the show my mom was already dying with laughter. Three marvelous actors – Jack Grigoli, Bob Peterson, and Kevin Harris – made sure it was entertaining the entire time. Some may automatically assume that anything having to do with William Shakespeare is a valid reason to press the “snooze button” on their brain and check out. Yet what made this play “unsnoozable” for people of all ages was the unique and enjoyable interaction that the actors pursued with the audience. The actors crossed over the invisible barrier that so commonly exists between performers and their audience. From having one of the actors disguised as an audience member to having two different people come on stage to participate in a scene of the play, the interaction was non-stop.
At times I felt like I was watching an impromptu act. It was as though the actors were going with their instincts because nothing appeared to be memorized or rehearsed and that is not something usually witnessed from a play. Not only was it fun to laugh at the ridiculous jokes aimed at Shakespeare, but it was even more entertaining to look around during the performance and observe the reactions of my fellow audience members. As audience members warmed up to the fact that this wasn’t going to be a typical play where they sat in silence and clapped in unison they began to heckle and provoke the actors. One section in particular composed of five women probably in their 70’s and 80’s was a riot. They loved shouting things out at the three men on stage and had no shame in flirting with them and teasing them as they performed.
Audience interaction can be one of the most inspiring and gratifying experiences for audience members and actors. When this interaction takes place, it erases the stigma that plays are these boring and meaningless things that old, rich people attend. Rather, this interaction promotes younger generations to see the value and benefits it can have on their lives. It can inspire young people to express themselves in a healthy way and encourage them to get involved with arts programs in their communities. Many young people don’t even realize the potential they have to act, sing, direct, and create marvelous works of art. Most importantly, audience interaction helps open doors. It shows people that acting isn’t a scary and intimidating thing. It proves that theatre can be as diverse as we are. Instead, it provides an outlet for expression that more people should take advantage of.
This is not to say that all plays should become audience interaction based. No one would want to see members from the cast of Oklahoma! pull members of the audience and have them line dance and sing. However, I believe peoples lives can be strongly changed for the better when they connect with the actors on stage. I hope this trend continues on into the future. Until then, here’s to a great production put on by the SLO Little Theatre and many more to come.
San Luis Obispo Little Theatre: The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkpr (Abridged)
Nicole Younger, Marketing Intern
