Shakespeare comes to Plains, T. Creek

Reading Shakespeare in school might have been a chore, but the Plains Woman's Club brings it to town every year to entertain folks, just like they did last week when they sponsored Montana Shakespeare in the Parks at the Sanders County Fairgrounds.

Nearly 180 people showed up to see the two-hour rendition of "Love's Labour's Lost" Thursday evening. It was free for the guests, but cost the Plains Woman's Club nearly $2,000, said club member Debbi Kirschbaum. "I thoroughly enjoyed it, but we do this to bring something different to the community," said Kirschbaum.

The Plains Woman's Club dedicated Thursday's performance to the late Louise Lulack, the club member who coordinated the event for countless years. "It was Louise's passion. She didn't start it, but she took it over and did it until she died," said Mary Lou Hermes, a club member. "Shakespeare is sometimes hard to understand, but they do it in a way for everyone to understand," said Debbie Heckman, who believes the club was sponsoring Montana Shakespeare in the Parks when she joined the woman's club in the 1970s.

The club this year received help from a dozen local businesses and individuals, including Quinn's Hot Springs Resort, which donated rooms for the 10 actors – four women and six men – who did the entire performance without an intermission, while audience members enjoyed the show on the grass or their lawn chairs while munching on snacks or eating their dinner.

This is the 46th year for the Montana State University affiliated troupe, which has done more than 2,200 performances since Montana Shakespeare in the Parks began in 1973. Jordan Gleaves, who's been with the group a year and is the newest member, said they will perform in 61 communities this year in Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming, Idaho, and Washington. He said they play in small towns and large cities and have audiences from under 100 to over 1,000. They did "Love's Labour's Lost" at Trout Creek on Friday, thanks to the Trout Creek Community Improvement Association.

"Love's Labour's Lost" surrounds the plot of the king of Navarre, played by Gleaves, and his three friends, who make a pact of no women for three years in order to concentrate solely on "scholarly pursuits."

However, the arrival of a pretty princess and three of her women assistants leads to a variety of twists, puns, songs, romance, and a moral of the story. The original text was written in the 1590s, but Montana Shakespeare in the Parks writers tweak some of the language and costumes for a contemporary setting, said Gleaves. "We modernize it, but stay true to the script," he said.

The actors' countless lines they must memorize seems almost as daunting as the number of times they quickly change costumes behind the 18-foot wide two-story portable stage, which takes them about an hour and a half to erect before each performance.

The Plains Woman's Club plans to bring the company back again next year, but doesn't know when at this time. The club also sponsors the Missoula Children's Theatre for Plains School every other year and will be hosting the group March 9, when they perform "The Emperor's New Clothes" with children from kindergarten through seniors and the Missoula Children's Theatre.