Taffety Punk Theatre Company

Bootleggers Stages Two Gents in One Day

Taffety Punk Theatre Company claims it is "the most exciting night that you will ever have in a theater," and, frankly, they cannot be accused of false advertising. Seventeen actors arrive on the morning of the show with only their lines memorized. They rehearse for just six hours. By 7:30 p.m., the show starts, whether they are ready or not.

It's called Bootleg Shakespeare, in what has become an annual and celebrated tradition in the Washington, D.C., theater scene, with the Folger Theater hosting the show, which is free to the public.

This year's Bootleg Shakespeare is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 3, when the bootleggers take on William Shakespeare’s The Two Gentlemen of Verona, a "spirited comedy about how sucky men are," says the play's flyer, which continues: "As The Two Gentlemen of Verona begins, Proteus loves Julia. His best friend, Valentine, moves to Milan and falls in love with Sylvia. As Julia chooses to love Proteus, he abruptly moves to Milan and promptly falls in love with Sylvia. Julia follows Proteus and sees firsthand what a rat her boyfriend is. Will the boys get their $#!% together before the girls justifiably kill them? Will the dog be sent to the stocks? Can you really take a boat from Verona to Milan? All will be revealed."

Marcus Kyd directs the show, which will feature Taffety Punk company members and actors from other DC-area theaters.

Tickets will be available at the Folger Theatre at 6 p.m. on the day of the performance. No phone or Web reservations, so "please do not call." Tickets must be claimed in person, with a limit of two tickets per person. If all tickets are gone by show time, there will be a queue for potential standing room availability. Seats not claimed by 7:15 p.m. will be released to patrons on standby.

July 28, 2015

If you have Shakespearean news to share, e-mail editorial@shakespeareances.com