Photo by Maggie Moroney.
Though the ever-fickle forecast called for rough winds to shake the darling buds of May 10, the day of the inaugural Louisiana Shakespeare Festival proved to be more lovely and more temperate than any weatherman could have predicted.
Hosted by The Louisiana Shakespeare Company at The Capitol Park Museum in downtown Baton Rouge, the event offered attendees the opportunity to watch scenes from Shakespearean plays, participate in stage combat workshops, make and write with period-accurate ink, and enjoy Renaissance costume displays and dance demonstrations. The festival’s impressive draw of families, theatre lovers, performers, and inquisitive newcomers alike transformed an otherwise sweltering corner of Louisiana into a lively slice of Elizabethan England—ruffles, rhymes, and all.
Such a spirited turnout surpassed what the founders of the Louisiana Shakespeare Company imagined when they formed their organization in August of 2023. Back then, Jennifer Bouquet (executive and artistic director), Katy Truluck (production manager), and Liz Odom Dalton (head of combat), were just three friends riding the post-show excitement of a Romeo and Juliet production. “There was just this feeling we all had of wanting to do more,” Bouquet recalls. The trio initially planned to independently stage Macbeth with a cast made up of their numerous talented friends, but scheduling conflicts sidelined the production. Instead of allowing this setback to hamper the group’s momentum, Bouquet floated another idea to her partners: “Why don’t we make a company?” What followed was a summit that took place around Bouquet’s dining room table. “We just hashed it out,” Bouquet said. “We talked about the pros and the cons of making a company. . . and we always just kept landing on community as the most important thing of all.”
Photo by Maggie Moroney.
This community focus manifests most clearly in the Louisiana Shakespeare Company’s library program, which brings Shakespeare productions to underserved communities in East Baton Rouge and Tangipahoa parishes. “The mission of that program is to bring a free, child-friendly, interactive, fun performance to underserved communities that may not be exposed to this type of art,” Bouquet says. With a blend of fifty percent explanatory narration and fifty percent actual Shakespearean text, their format demystifies the language for audiences of all ages, many of whom will experience Shakespeare in their English Language Arts classes in middle school.
Even with the library program’s momentum and the popularity of the mainstage productions, the organizers were concerned about maintaining the public’s appetite for their offerings. Bourque explained, “One of the thoughts we had at first was, ‘What if people don't like Shakespeare as much as we do?’” But as the Bard himself wrote in Henry VIII, “Things done well, / And with a care, exempt themselves from fear.”
“Shakespeare may not be for everyone, and it might not be everybody's cup of tea. But he belongs to everybody, and everyone deserves to at least be able to try and have a good experience with Shakespeare.” —Jennifer Bouquet
The success of the first Louisiana Shakespeare Festival proved this sentiment to be true. Remarkably well-orchestrated, the engaging activities flowed seamlessly from the museum's outdoor spaces to its interior galleries. Dalton led riveting interactive stage combat demonstrations that captivated audience members with a behind-the-scenes look at the choreographed violence that makes Shakespeare's tragedies so thrilling. The energy was infectious as adults and children alike found themselves swept up in the theatrical joy of learning to slap each other (safely!).
Natalie Roy Mitchell, a Latin and Roman technology teacher at Glasgow Middle School, demonstrated the ancient Roman process of making gall ink. She invited attendees to make their own vials by mixing an iron solution with oak gall, the natural tree growths that form when bark is damaged by insects or the elements. With the feather quills and parchment provided, participants tested their ink, and practiced their fanciest lettering, with flair.
Photo by Maggie Moroney.
Adding to the enchantment of the day, Shakespeare himself and his regal patron Queen Elizabeth I mingled with the crowd, posing for photos and engaging visitors in character. Demonstrating that the community spirit can reach far beyond city or even state lines, these special guests, portrayed by Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire’s Jeff Wolfthall and Jules Schrader, flew down from Chicago to help bring the Bard’s festival to life.
In other sections of the festival, Marie Stagg's period costume exhibit allowed visitors to ogle at authentic Elizabethan England attire, while the Louisiane Vintage Dancers captivated audiences with demonstrations of Renaissance social dances. John Cavalier of Cavalier House Books brought a rich display of Shakespeare and Shakespeare-related books and poetry. Outdoor performances ran every fifteen minutes, featuring scenes and monologues from Shakespeare’s tragedies and comedies. This constant rotation ensured that the roughly 200 festival-goers—the most the museum had seen on a Saturday in years—could experience multiple facets of the company's work throughout the day.
Photo by Maggie Moroney.
For Bouquet, though, the success of the company and festival isn't measured solely in attendance numbers, but in its commitment to accessibility and community. This idea crystallizes in the company’s motto: “Shakespeare belongs to everyone.” Bouquet said they chose the word “belongs” deliberately. “Shakespeare may not be for everyone, and it might not be everybody's cup of tea, but he belongs to everybody, and everyone deserves to at least be able to try and have a good experience with Shakespeare.”
In a world where high culture can often feel intimidating or exclusive, the Louisiana Shakespeare Company and the triumph of their inaugural festival are a testament to the Bard's greatest stage direction of all: “the play's the thing–and everyone deserves to play!”
