!EXTRA, EXTRA!: Commonwealth Shakespeare serves it up as we like it...

...with more then just five performances (we're going to get spoiled if they're not careful!). For their annual free Shakespeare offering, the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company (under the artistic direction of Steven Maler) will present Willy's As You Like It at the Parkman Bandstand on the Common from July 18th-August 8th. That's right folks, a whole three weeks of delightful comedy chock full of anachronisms and imported actors! In a quick attempt to squelch any remaining hard feelings from last year's Midsummer schedule scandal, the press release for this summer makes it all-too-clear just how much of the Bard they are providing. They front load their release with a description of the Common schedule as "in Extended Run", as well as informing inquiring minds that it will also be "Touring to Springfield". All obvious overcompensation aside, it appears as if they have decided they have wrung all they can out of the cannon, choosing As You Like It (which was CSC's 1998 season) over as-of-yet unperformed tomfoolery such as The Comedy of Errors, The Merry Wives of Windsor, or even the recent Boston favorite, Love's Labour's Lost.

They started this trend last year when they selected the rarely performed problem play, A Midsummer's Night Dream (where else would Boston audiences ever get a chance to see this gem?), which was also coincidentally their debut in 1996. Although they have cherry-picked most of the "greats", with some carefully o'er leaping of The Merchant of Venice (too topical!), Othello (too small!), and King Lear (too tragic!), I find it odd that after only 12 years the company justifies repeating itself. This is not to say I am not looking forward to As You Like It; I actually greatly enjoyed the shiny and bratty Hamlet Mayer delivered three years ago. My question is, "What good is an annual Shakespeare offering if its just going to be the same 11 plays?" Although I have no doubt that they will eventually branch out (The Comedy of Errors? Come on, its fish in a fucking barrel...), I also shake my head at their fear of the "lesser" works. If we've learned anything from recent Shakespeare productions, it's that the more a work is called "lesser", the more popular and mainstream it actually is. Just as brown may be the new black, Cymbeline could be counted as the new Tempest, and Titus Andronicus for Macbeth. What's so great about those high school reading-list titans anyway (besides cohesive plots)?

With the Publick Theatre (who are gearing up for what I hear is to be another Bard-free season) waning as a source for a summer Shakespeare fix, and even Boston Theatre Works dropping its usual winter William spot this year, it would seem as if Boston regional theater is losing interest in such old things. How would I really like it, CSC? How about letting one of the less popular kids bat for you next year? Sometimes those runts sure can surprise...

!EXTRA, EXTRA!: Gold Dust Orphans announce first NEW show of the season...

...and they're cracking open the vault for this one. Landry and his rag-tag group of orphans have, of late, focused primarily on icons of the modern film and stage. From Williams's faded glories to the old Hollywood mavens of melodrama, Gold Dust shows are often cunning creations which pay obsessive homage to their subjects while they, at the same time, slowly twist the knife. For Valentine's day this year, Landry is resurrecting the original hot mess of the stage, and a queen to end them all- Medea. Can you say date play? The press release informs inquiring minds that this was actually their first work, but has been trussed for a high-class, high-concept ART-caliber showing (A show that skewers Greek drama and the ART? Well call me lovestruck... ).

Landry will be hiking the veritable Everest that Medea is (in heels to boot, no doubt), with Penny Champagne (of Silent Night of the Lambs acclaim) and Afrodite (resident goddess) completing roll call. I personally think that there has never been a more relevant time to revisit the first celebrity train wreck, what with the sad excuses for divas that have been gracing our tabloids of late. Although I am the last person who wants to shell out for a B. Spears-reference fest, hopefully our 'ole girl Medea will remind all those coked out pop stars that if you want to get even, do it right. And don't forget your plastic ponchos- empowerment can be messy!