At some point, Shakespeare became the bane of most high school literature classes; dry readings with Middle English obscured the fact that Shakespeare was the Game of Thrones of its day: sex, violence, bawdy humor, and lots of alcohol.

The Drunk Shakespeare Society of New York has done much to return Shakespeare to its roots. Set in the loft bar at Quinn’s, a couple blocks from Time Square and the big Broadway plays, a half dozen actors (and the occasional possessed felt doll) strut upon the stage, portraying an abbreviated work from Shakespeare’s cannon – all while heavily intoxicated.

In discussion with the cast, the subject of intoxication, location, and accessibility was raised. What if a more familiar and casual setting could draw people back to the material? I appreciate the sentiment, but I don’t buy it. Programs such as Shakespeare In The Park do just as much to remove the material from expensive Broadway stages and draw in the public. The two aspects I will acknowledge as central to accessibility in the production is the “Point of Order,” a series of improvised speeches designed to explain obscure language or abridged passages, and the level of audience participation.

Further, to the credit of the entire production, the material is treated with a mix of mirth and reverence. The cast consists of fine actors, many of whom play multiple roles in the production and shift between characters in a graceful and distinctive manner, eliminating any potential confusion brought intrinsic to having actors play multiple roles and the unusual galley style stage. It is peppered with entertaining anachronisms, and the audience is often offered props to help move the story along.

The mechanics involved are distinct from traditional Shakespearean plays: there are no lofty sets, or constrictive Elizabethan costumes. The gears and guts revolve around two casts which alternate days and the show runs six days a week, each show, one actor is chosen to be the “drunk actor” who kicks off the show with a series of shots and serves as court jester to the royalty for that night’s performance. The Royalty is a status established at the beginning of the performance through auction and draws the audience into a relationship with the actors through the use of a bell, which when knelled, signals a “drunk actor challenge,” a spontaneous performance from the spirit-infused actor which could potentially end in pardon, but typically ends in liberal libation.

These two factors, the Royalty and the inebriated actor, foster the wide spectrum of the performance’s ambiance. The first performance I witnessed featured Lucas Calhoun as a highly intoxicated Macbeth. His stage presence was formidable, punctuated by moments of frivolity, engendering a balance akin to a good comedy routine. Phil Gillen served as narrator, Christina Liu as Macduff, Lindsey Hope Pearlman played Lady Macbeth, and Whit Leyenberger played, well, pretty much everyone else. The dynamic between the actors was well balanced, and the side antics of the cast drew people into the performance instead of stepping out into the audience. They successfully emphasized the Shakespeare in “Drunk Shakespeare.”

The second performance, hosted on William Shakespeares 450th Birthday, payed more homage drink than bard for three discernible reasons. First, the Royalty were drunk with power, and attempted to move from audience into a directors role. Second, Mr. Leyenberger’s role as the drunk actor came across less bardic and more fratboy. Third, a birthday party by its nature offers a different atmosphere. This performance allowed Mr. Gillen to shine, as he was brought from the wings into the performance at Jester Leyenberger’s behest.

Make no mistake, both performances were enjoyable. And that is the key message that these productions have to offer. Shakespeare is meant to be enjoyed, not endured. The innumerable updates to Shakespeare by recasting the characters in contemporary settings in print or stage do not automatically make it accessible or entertaining, while this small scale production succeeds. Puritanical Prohibition was never a part of Shakespeare’s worldview, and for their work in creating a fun evening, they are to be thoroughly applauded, fun doesn’t have to be a dirty word in the world of fine literature. The Drunken Shakespeare Society is the sauciest production in town. Cheers!

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