EclecticPond’s highly original (and sometimes maniacal) production, 10 x 10 x You, is the “son of” 10 x 10, which they have performed the past few years. This time around, audiences took a vote to determine which of Shakespeare’s plays would get the 10 minute edit treatment. The votes came in, the plays ranked, and a cast of dozens put into motion. The results are wildly funny, full of “sound and fury” but making for a delightful evening of entertainment.
EclecticPond vets Kate Homan and Michael Hosp introduce the plays in order of popularity, starting with number 10 (Two Gentleman of Verona) and count down to number 1 (weirdly, Titus Andronicus, possibly the goriest play ever written for the stage). Because of the rush to squeeze complicated stories into about 10 minutes of stage time, things get seriously edited down, sped up (Tom Cardwell’s Macbeth speech played at 78 rpm is impressive), and the boring bits taken out.
The problem of Richard II — long-winded King’s speeches punctuated by action — is deftly handled by having Richard wander about speechifying while the rest of the cast acts out the story with brooms in mime behind him. Hilarity ensues.
There was a tie for 8th place (Love’s Labor Lost and Hamlet) which is resolved by dividing the stage and performing highlights from LLL and Hamlet on different sides, and the cast ducking behind a divider, swapping crowns, and continuing in different characters. It is dazzling to watch.
The greatest difficulty comes from handling what is arguably the most tragic of Shakespeare’s tragedies, King Lear. How do you make a story about an old king who loses his mind, his kingdom, and his daughters (and ultimately his life) because of pride? By giving it the “fight night” treatment — in this corner, Reagan . . . in this corner, Goneril . . . in that corner, Cordelia. Well played.
The final play, Titus Andronicus, also presents an enormous challenge. How do you make a play in which one daughter is raped, her hands and tongue cut off, and a mother eats her dead sons who have been baked in a pie? And do it in 10 minutes? You’ll have to see it to believe it.
With such a large cast playing a number of roles in quick succession, everyone gets a chance to be exceptional. Henry V, though, played by Elsie McNulty, nearly stole the entire show — no mean feat in a cast as talented as this one. Thomas Cardwell and Jeremy Grimmer, with other material from Zack Joyce, took on an enormous task adapting Shakespeare’s works and succeeded.
There is only one more performance of 10 x 10 x You, Jan. 24 at 8 p.m. at Irvington UMC on North Audubon. Tickets are only $10 at the door. Don’t miss it, or you’ll have to wait a whole year.
EclecticPond’s next production will be The Tempest: Adrift in Time Feb. 20-March 7 at Playground Production Studios, 5529 Bonna Ave. #10. Find out more at eclecticpond.org