Shakespeare Meets The Outdoors To Great Acclaim

Anything can happen during a live performance of Shakespeare in the park. The creative team behind Hip to Hip Theatre Company is just hoping that, next weekend, it’s not rain.

“Agawam Park is one of the most picturesque venues that we play,” said artistic director Jason Marr during a telephone interview last week. “It’s one of the most appreciative audiences we play and, c’mon, it’s the Hamptons. It’s a bit of a feather in our cap.”

Under the setting sun for its fourth consecutive year, the Queens-based theater company is bringing Shakespeare to Southampton. This year, the 11-actor troupe—which plays upward of 40 characters—will close its tour with “Othello” and “Much Ado About Nothing” on Friday, August 19, and Saturday, August 20, respectively.

Hip to Hip, founded in 2007, sets itself apart from other companies by keeping its productions simple, Mr. Marr said. The plays speak for themselves, he added, noting that the actors keep to Shakespeare’s original practices, such as direct address to the audience and following staging clues in the script.

And, unlike so many things associated with the pricey Hamptons, for these performances, admission is free.

“Shakespeare belongs to the masses,” Mr. Marr explained. “Everybody’s had exposure to Shakespeare, and in my opinion, the greatest plays in Western literature. There’s something for everybody. His talent was that he was able to write plays that both appealed to the aristocracy and the working folks—groundlings, as they were called.”

Last season, the company played to 4,000 people over its four-week tour in Queens, and including the East End performances, Mr. Marr reported. He anticipates expanding that to about 5,000 total this year, he said. Approximately 650 people attended in Southampton last year, he said.

“There’s definitely interest in what we’re doing and an enthusiasm for Shakespeare,” he said. “It seems we’ve tapped into a good audience base—not only in Queens, but also in Southampton, which is one of the highlights of our season. It holds a special place in our hearts.”

Each year, the paired plays are thematically connected, Mr. Marr said. “Othello” and “Much Ado About Nothing” both follow the same basic story line—the false accusation of a woman’s fidelity—surrounded by themes of jealousy and minor military activity, he said.

But while “Much Ado About Nothing” has a comic treatment, “Othello” is the definition of a tragedy.

In an ambitious Hip to Hip debut, actor Damon Kinard took on the challenge of this season’s leading roles: Othello in the drama of the same name and Benedick in the playful “Much Ado About Nothing.”

“They’re both wonderful, iconic roles for very, very different reasons,” Mr. Kinard said during a telephone interview last week. “It’s a great way to flex different acting muscles and go to different extremes. It’s been really scary and exciting and wonderful.”

Switching from the mindset of one role to the other in less than 24 hours isn’t as difficult as it may sound, Mr. Kinard said.

“I think they’re both very intelligent, highly evolved people,” the Harlem resident said. “They’re both leaders and take-charge kind of people. But I think that Othello isn’t really allowed to show vulnerability and not allowed to look bad. He’s very sensitive to perception. Benedick is completely impervious to it. His ego is so large it doesn’t bother him.”

While Hip to Hip is still establishing itself, Mr. Marr said he will continue to pick recognizable titles that are not only crowd favorites, but actor favorites, too.

“The language, it’s just so incredibly well-written,” Mr. Kinard said. “I’m stating the obvious there, but it’s so beautiful. The words just flow so beautifully. You don’t have that luxury to be poetic with more contemporary stuff. You’re ultimately just trying to sound as conversational as possible.

“But with Shakespeare, the more poetic it gets, the more people get it,” he continued. “The more fun it is for us, and the more fun it is for the audience.”

Hip to Hip Theatre Company will stage “Othello” and “Much Ado About Nothing” on Friday, August 19, and Saturday, August 20, respectively, at 7:30 p.m. in Agawam Park in Southampton. Admission is free. The rain location for Friday’s performance will be at the Levitas Center for the Arts at the Southampton Cultural Center and at the Veterans Memorial Hall for Saturday’s performance. For more information, visit hiptohip.org.