8 DAYS OUT Talks & Lectures
ARTS/EXTRA DK M PHOTOGR APHY
JURASSIC PARK WITHOUT THE DINOSAURS—Freelance writer and photographer Brewster Moseley will share photos from the National Audubon Society’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary on Florida’s Gulf Coast. 6 p.m. FREE. The Community Library, 415 Spruce Ave. N., Ketchum, 208-726-3493, thecommunitylibrary.org.
Kids & Teens PRESCHOOL STORYTIME—Stories and fun for preschoolers. 10-11 a.m. FREE. Garden City Library, 6015 Glenwood St., Garden City, 208-472-2941, gardencity.lili.org.
Odds & Ends ALMOST FAMOUS KARAOKE—9 p.m. FREE. Old Chicago-downtown, 730 W. Idaho St., Boise, 208-363-0037, oldchicago.com. CHIP AND A CHAIR POKER— Practice your poker skills for free while earning points toward prizes and glory. 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. FREE. Eastside Tavern, 610 E. Boise Ave., Boise, 208-3453878. GEEKS WHO DRINK—Answer questions about bad television and celebrities and take on wordplay challenges in this version of pub trivia modeled after its counterparts in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Visit geekswhodrink. com for more information. 8 p.m. FREE. Piper Pub and Grill, 150 N. Eighth St., Boise, 208-3432444, thepiperpub.com. IDAHO FISH AND GAME FENCE REMOVAL—Help Idaho Fish and Game remove 1 mile of obsolete fence from Hwy. 95 near New Meadows. Old barbed wire causes numerous wildlife injuries and deaths. This project is part of an ongoing riparian restoration project. Transportation provided from Garden City. Wear clothes that protect your arms and legs, but that you do not mind being snagged by barbed-wire. Bring a lunch, water, sun protection and clothes to get through a day in Central Idaho. For more information, call IDFG or email michael.young@idfg.idaho.gov. 7 a.m. FREE. KARAOKE—9 p.m. FREE. Quinn’s Restaurant and Lounge, 1005 S. Vista Ave., Boise, 208345-0135. MEET AND GRILL WITH LINSEY CORBIN—Meet professional triathlete Linsey Corbin and representatives from Saucony and enjoy free food, get an autograph and enter a raffle. 4-7 p.m. FREE. Shu’s Idaho Running Company, 1758 W. State St., Boise, 208-344-6604, idahorunningcompany.com. POKER—Play for fun and prizes. 7 p.m. FREE. The Buffalo Club, 10206 W. Fairview Ave., Boise, 208-321-1811.
20 | JUNE 6–12, 2012 | BOISEweekly
Romeo and Juliet seal their fate with a final kiss.
ROMEO AND JULIET VISIT THE ROARING ’20S Baz Luhrmann set it in Mexico City, with neon Catholic kitsch, swirling sand and drive-by violence. West Side Story set it in New York City’s Puerto Rican ghetto, with finger-snapping, knife-wielding street gangs. And Idaho Shakespeare Festival set its rendition of Romeo and Juliet in 1920s Italy, with flappers and cane-twirling Gatsby-esque gents. Shakespeare’s tragic tale of two ill-fated teen lovers has cycled through so many pop culture renditions that its plot is familiar beyond the point of cliche. But that doesn’t mean it’s any less enjoyable to revisit, especially if its characters are plopped into another tumultuous era when “the mad blood is stirring.” In ISF Producing Artistic Director Charles Fee’s program notes, he explains that “the feud of the Capulets and the Montagues must feel all encompassing, not just two households but part of a broader political conflict that the Prince is grappling with.” So, he decided to set the play in an Italian city recovering from World War I, with Mussolini and the Fascist party on the rise. But despite the crumbling Romeo and Juliet runs set, the forboding atmosphere through Saturday, June 30. didn’t take, partly because the IDAHO SHAKESPEARE actors were far too funny. J. FESTIVAL Todd Adams played Mercutio 5657 Warm Springs Ave. like a more poetic Johnny Depp 208-336-9221 in Pirates of the Caribbean. He idahoshakespeare.org used his floor-length coat to great effect, swooping through multiple personalities as he ribbed Romeo and swigged off bottles of hooch. Later, he swung on the stage’s scaffolding with the ease of a gymnast, engaging Tybalt (played by Dan Lawrence) in a humorous, multi-tiered sword fight. That scene also highlighted the huffy hilarity of Juliet’s Nurse, played with the right dash of raunchiness by Laurie Birmingham. And Juliet, herself, was no delicate flower. Betsy Mugavero had all the sass and bouncing ringlets of a teenaged orphan Annie, coupled with a beauty that was more adorable than unattainable. When a loud plane rumbled over the outdoor amphitheater in the middle of Juliet’s monologue, Mugavero cutely placed her head on her hands and waited for it to pass. The audience chuckled before erupting into applause. Even Star Moxley’s costumes placed more emphasis on frivolity than the plot’s looming tragedy, with violet, dropped-waist flapper dresses, gold-embellished masks and sleek suits with undone collars. Apart from Tybalt’s buttoned up, stiff black attire, the costuming underscored the performance’s lighthearted tone. So much so that when the two lovers finally took their lives in the stuffy tomb, you almost expected them to be resurrected and gallop off the stage happily ever after. Almost. —Tara Morgan
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