Mark Pajor, president of The What You Will Shakespeare Company, graced me with an interview today about WYW and their most recent productions, including “By Any Other Name”, a fundraiser with the other UIUC theater RSO’s, New Revels Players, and the Penny Dreadful Players.
First off, tell me about the history of “What You Will Shakespeare”.
We started 6 years ago. Basically, we used to be one theater group, when some of the New Revels Players left us and wanted to create their own company, for more modern plays. Those members who still wanted to do Shakespeare stayed, and became “What You Will”.
What does your season look like this semester?
We are doing The Spanish Tragedy by Thomas Kyd, the only non-Shakespeare play this semester, on March 30th and 31st. Troilus and Cressida, one of Shakespeare’s lesser known plays, on April 6th and 7th, and then Merchant of Venice (auditions Feb 29th), on Mom’s Weekend, April 20th and 21st.
How do you go about choosing plays for each season?
At the end of the semester, we go through proposals submitted by members throughout the semester, and discuss and vote on which ones to produce. We make sure we do not repeat any plays within 2 1/2 years of each other.
You also perform works by other playwrites from Shakespeare’s era or older. How do you find these lesser-known works?
Actually, I checked out The Indian Emperor from the library when we were producing it, and found a list in the back of the book of other plays and play writes during Shakespeare’s time. Also, from classes where they mention Shakespeare’s contemporaries, like Marlowe.
“What You Will” often makes different interpretive choices of classic works, such as contemporary costuming or music choices. How do you decide on these creative choices?
The director proposes concepts for the play, and it’s voted on. We like to do a variety of shows with different concepts throughout the semester. We don’t want to do every show in togas.
And where do you get your costumes?
Our Renaissance costumes were actually made by old members, so we have a store of our own costumes. Sometimes we have to make new things as well, and for contemporary dress, we usually just raid people’s closets.
You have both acted in and directed plays for the company. What are some differences between the two experiences?
As an actor, it’s easier to focus on specifics, like the relations of your character to other characters. But as a director, you have to pull back and look at everything. Both are rewarding in different ways. Actors can make “moments” that are their own. It’s fulfilling to have those moments and make the audience laugh or react in some way. As a director, seeing everything improve over time is most fulfilling. Seeing the actors go from working on basic blocking, to being able to put all these emotions into it.
Tell me about “By Any Other Name”.
We started it last year, and it’s planned as an annual thing. It’s a fundraiser benefiting the Awakenings Project (which focuses on aiding artists who have psychiatric illnesses), and combines the three U of I theater companies together. There are 6 short plays put on by a mix of “What You Will”, New Revels Players and Penny Dreadful Players. The plays range from comedies, tragedies, and a lot in-between. So people who usually only belong to 1 of the theater groups are put together and mixed with people they’ve never worked with before to bring the 3 companies together. By Any Other Name, the Awakenings Project benefit is this Friday, Feb 10th, at UPC Church at 8PM, tickets $5.
Finally, what do you like most about being part of this theater group?
The community of people is the best part. People come from all different majors and for all different reasons. Some people come in who’ve never even acted before, and wanted to try it, and they end up being really good! It’s a tight group, and we’re really welcoming. All my close friends are through “What You Will”. It’s what keeps me coming back.
