Genesius Guild Offers Shakespeare In The Rock Island Park With ‘Measure For Measure’
An adapted version of Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure is currently running to open Genesius Guild’s 2021 season with the next performances at 7 p.m. on June 26 and 27.
All performances are held at the Don Wooten Stage in Lincoln Park, 1120 40th St., Rock Island, and admission is free. Opening weekend marks the Genesius Guild’s return to live theater after cancelling the 2020 season.
Sometimes known as one of Shakespeare’s problem plays – shows that are not explicitly comedies or tragedies – Measure for Measure is a “fascinating exploration of how power can corrupt, with comedic overtones,” according to a Genesius Guild release.
“The play’s characters are complex creatures – even the principal character and hero of the show, Duke Vincentio, has an unsavory tendency to manipulate other characters,” the company says.
In the story, Vienna’s Duke Vincentio announces that he is going to retire from public rule for a while, leaving Angelo in his place. He is called a “prenzie” — a person arrogantly proud of his virtue. Angelo immediately starts on a reckless course of rigorous law enforcement, bringing Claudio under threat of execution for getting his fiancée, Juliet, pregnant.
Claudio sends for his sister, Isabella, who is about to enter a convent, to plead his case. Angelo’s surprising response sets the plot in motion. What he doesn’t know is that the Duke remains in Vienna, disguised as a friar, to see how his deputy behaves in office and to learn something of the lower classes in his dukedom.
Complications ensue, as they always do, and the result makes for a compelling show you’ll enjoy experiencing in the beautiful outdoor theater setting. So take a measure of your time to see “Measure For Measure!”
