Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre was founded in 1992 performing Shakespeare underneath the Midnight Sun downtown alongside the Chena river. Within two decades, FST would blossom into an internationally touring theater company, producing shows year round and organizing the Bard-a-thon; round the clock eight days a week community read through of the Complete Works of William Shakespeare. The Bard-a-thon has expanded to La Crosse, WI in the last few years, strengthening the Wisco-Alaskan connection.
FST is currently based in the Empress Theatre with plans to move into a more manageable space this summer. Through the course of FST's history, the summer Shakespeare shows have migrated several times: performing in parks downtown, at the Musher's Field, Birch Hill Recreation Area, and currently performs on the University of Alaska Fairbanks grounds at the historic Jack Townshed Point.
The summer production of Romeo & Juliet will be FST's 21st outdoor performance of a Shakespeare canon. That leaves 17 Shakespearean plays yet to be performed in the Alaskan elements, plus the long form poems. Operating out of the Empress Theatre and Shakespeare Camp in Biastown, FST will be working towards producing a musical swashbuckling extravaganza of the unabridged First Folio edition of Romeo & Juliet within 6 weeks time beginning June 1st, 2013.
More info on FST is available at fstalaska.org
The Tragedie
Currently the weather is stubbornly hoovering around 40-50 degrees with snowbanks isolated in the shade about the area. No foliage or grass, and general uninspiring conditions despite sunshine. This limits the amount of work we are accomplishing both in camp and around town. Most effort is spend in the Empress office working on the pre-production elements of Romeo & Juliet.
The Comedie
The majority of FST will be departing for Las Vegas shortly after auditions this weekend for the upcoming wedding of two core members of the staff. Hence it falls upon the lusty young men to welcome into camp a female dancer from Colorado arriving for the summer production, possibly resulting in a comedy of errors. For now the entire camp of lusty young men divides it's time between the NBA Playoffs and Romeo & Juliet.
Also, facsimile editions of the fabled First Folio feature Juliet spelled Iuliet throughout.
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