Culture Surfing - Kate Warner brushes up her Shakespeare
Director for Dad’s Garage Theatre’s Indulgences
In playwright Chris Craddock’s postmodern, literate comedy Indulgences (playing through April 12 at Dad’s Garage Theatre), director Kate Warner focuses on an unconventional take on two young, obscure roles from Macbeth, Malcolm and Fleance. The artistic director of Dad’s Garage, Warner has never directed a full, “real” production of Shakespeare before, but the Bard informs many of her creative experiences, as he does with most theater professionals.
The Riverside Shakespeare: “This is my personal Shakespeare treasure. I was given a copy of this volume as the freshman theater award at Kalamazoo College. It’s really heavy.”
Georgia Shakespeare: “My favorite live Shakespeare memories are from seeing shows under the old tent at the Georgia Shakespeare Festival. It was always hot, humid and loud, and you knew you were experiencing something unique.”
Shakespeare in Love: “This is my favorite Shakespeare movie because screenwriter Tom Stoppard is brilliant. It has so many good theater jokes and it’s an amazing cast. A couple years ago, I e-mailed Simon Callow (who plays Tilney, Master of Revels) to ask if he would write a short play for 8 1/2 x 11. He replied he was unavailable because surely Dad’s Garage had him confused with Simon Cowell.”
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare abridged: “Um ... I actually haven’t yet directed Shakespeare proper. I’ve insulted the Bard twice though by directing Complete Works of Shakespeare abridged, both at Theatrical Outfit. Sean Daniels completely destroyed Chris Kayser’s dignified composure every single time they had to act out Romeo and Juliet. They couldn’t stop cracking onstage. It was like watching Harvey Korman and Tim Conway. That was the most fun I ever had directing Shakespeare.”
Insults: “Shakespeare wrote a lot of great insults, but the one that stands out in my memory is ‘Thou art not worth the dust the rude wind blows in your face.’ It’s Albany to Goneril in King Lear. I had to go look up the scene number for you: It’s Act 4, Scene 2.”