Surrounding the fountain outside The Plaza Arts Center in Eatonton, audiences were treated to a live-action sampling of Shakespeare this past weekend, thanks to the vision and passion of local artist Gretter Naranjo.
Naranjo studied and performed theater since high school, then earned a degree in acting from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. More recently, she appeared in “12 Angry Jurors” on The Plaza stage and in “And Then There Were None” at Festival Hall in Greensboro.
Naranjo wanted to bring something different to the Lake Country arts scene, though, a live, outdoor Shakespeare production.
“I’ve been studying and performing theater since I was in high school, and it’s my love and my passion,” she said. “There’s a lot of really great theater here, but a lot of the classics aren’t really played around here. I wanted to introduce them to the community a little bit more.”
That idea really took root, she said, after imagining the fountain in front of The Plaza as a stage. She knew Shakespeare in the Park was a popular attraction in several major cities across the country, including Atlanta, Dallas, Boston, and Denver, among others. Still, most famously in New York City, so perhaps it could work here on a smaller scale, too.
“I honestly just saw the fountain and thought, wouldn’t that be so cool?” Naranjo said. “And with it being so iconic in the middle of town, I thought it would be great to tie that in with something new.”
Also, with just under an hour of runtime, Naranjo said she felt it was “the perfect evening starter; you come in, watch the show, and then go get dinner.”
The performances were staged “in the round,” making creative use of the space. The actors even occasionally stepped up onto the fountain’s edge, using it as an elevated platform.
Bringing the show to life required coordination with several local organizations. Naranjo wrote a formal proposal to use The Plaza’s outdoor space and credits both the Downtown Development Authority and the Georgia Writers Museum for their support.
“They let us use their space for rehearsal and practice,” she said. “We couldn’t rehearse outside all the time, especially in the middle of summer, so it was really nice to have that.”
Rehearsals began in August, with the cast getting together through September to prepare for the Oct. 3-5 performances. The cast featured several well-known local actors, including Nicolas Fazio, Kim Fleming, Jackie Hill, Parke Kallenberg, Brent Mero, Naranjo, Lily Roberts, Art Shutt, and Anenaca Simpson.
Naranjo was the show director, with Fazio directing a sword-fight scene from “Hamlet,” Hill directing a “Much Ado About Nothing” scene, and guest director Ethan Poole handling a “Henry IV” monologue to cap off the event.
“I’m incredibly ecstatic,” Naranjo said after Saturday evening’s show. “It’s so new and so different, but everyone’s been incredibly receptive. People see the show and say, ‘I didn’t know if I was going to like this or not,’ and then they say, ‘It was great.’”
She also said she hopes this is just the beginning of more classic theater under the stars in Eatonton.