Memorial Day & Will
Friday, May 23rd by scott malia
Memorial Day is a day of many meanings. Hopefully, its most important role should be as a time of remembrance, though in the eagerness for summer that significance is sometimes lost (or at least muddled). For many, it is a time of beginnings and endings: the end of a school year (or the end of a school career for those graduating); the end of the television season; or the beginning of a period of vacations and other leisure time activities. Since the mid 1970’s, Memorial Day was traditionally the beginning of the summer movie season, as the long weekend allowed a blockbuster to rack up additional dollars based on the extra free time moviegoers have. In the past decade or so, that date has backed up to the beginning of May, as big budget films try to steer clear of each other and still recoup a gazillion dollars to cover its overblown budgets, outrageous star salaries, and ridiculous advertising costs (which is why some such tentpole movies can make $100 million dollars and still be considered flops).
Theatre is a different animal, and Memorial Day still marks the end of the regular theatre season (as evidence, note the mid-May announcement of the Tony Award nominations followed by the ceremony itself in early June). The long weekend also marks the transition to summer seasons, of which Shakespeare Festivals make up a considerable percentage. Since many of these venues are outdoors, it makes sense that they might choose the milder months to stage their works. In addition, their talent pool is drawn from both professional theatre and academia, both of whom become more available in the summer months. Memorial day means many things to many people, but for Bard buffs it means a smorgasbord of Shakespearean theatre.
