“Everyone dies…but it’s surprisingly upbeat!” — Your friendly neighborhood Shakespeare
Shakespeare tragedies tend to end with bodies littering the stage, however, in a fluffy twist, a litter of kittens replaces daggers and poison in the Shakespeare Approves! production of “Shakespeare: Death by Fluffy Kittens!” The live theatre event, held Monday evening, was brought to Shepard Park by the Lake George Arts Project.
“Death by Fluffy Kittens” is a creation of Dan Kostelec, a Renaissance performer who merges education and entertainment (he calls it edutainment) geared towards children, but the adults in the audience appeared to appreciate the screwball comedy. Kostelec combines condensed versions of Shakespeare’s plays with improv comedy that brings the audience onto the stage to participate in the story.
Monday night, the Shepard Park amphitheatre became Verona, Italy and the Scottish Highlands with scenes alternating between “Romeo and Juliet” and “Macbeth.” An occasional blast from the Lake George Steamboat Company’s ships added to the ambiance. Dressed in period costume, Kostelec is Shakespeare pulling his cast from the audience and feeding them their lines, regularly slipping modern cultural references into William Shakespeare’s meter.
The Romeo and Juliet balcony scene begins as it was written more than 400 years ago — “But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?” — but slowly the lines evolve into Meatloaf’s “Paradise by the Dashboard light” — “I gotta know right now, do you love me? Will you love me forever?”
And then came the fluffy Kittens. They flew through the air taking down King Duncan, Lady Macbeth, the entire McDuff clan, the star-crossed lovers, and others.
“Is this a dagger I see before me? No, it is a fluffy kitten!” — Macbeth, Thane of Glamis
Kittens love their victims to death. They also replace balls in a dodgeball battle, as happened when Tybalt and Mercutio dueled in the streets of Verona. The most dangerous kitten of all is a Bengal tiger named Karen who demands to speak with the manager. The performance used small stuffed animals. No real kittens were harmed in the production, according to the show’s promotional material.
“Death by Fluffy Kittens” is a first for the Lake George Arts Project. They have been hosting concerts and the nationally acclaimed Jazz at the Lake Festival for decades, but this is the first theatre production they have sponsored. Executive Director Tanya Tobias-Tomis says they hope to bring more live theatre to the park next year if finances and venue availability make that possible.
Before the pandemic, the Shepard Park amphitheatre was booked most nights throughout the summer. Monday nights were dedicated to families with Musical, Magical Mondays. Last summer, COVID-19 safety protocols forced the stage to remain dark, although some events were offered in an online virtual space.
Tobias-Tomis says they were able to engage Shakespeare Approves! for this one show, but, as the country pulls out of the pandemic, they have been primarily focused on the return of the Wednesday Night Concert Series and the jazz weekend, which is scheduled for Sept. 17- Sept. 19, 2021. All Lake George Arts Project shows are free to attend. The organization depends on donations to finance productions and operations.
