Nashville Shakespeare Festival successfully argues Shakespeare's Case

June 2, 3:49 AMNashville Theatre ExaminerF. Daniel Kent

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Jon Royal, Brian Webb Russell and Nan Gurley in Shakespeare's Case

If you missed the two night showing of Nashville Shakespeare Festival's original work Shakespeare's Case written by Nashville favorites Nan Gurley, Denice Hicks and Claire Syler, then you are without a doubt guilty!

Guilty of missing a delightfully entertaining piece of work that only the incredible talent of the Nashville Shakespeare Festival could deliver!

Directed by co-writer and NSF Education Director Claire Syler (last seen onstage during NSF's presentation of Richard III), Shakespeare's Case revolves around a disillusioned English teacher played by the energetic Jon Royal who many will remember from recent Actor's Bridge Ensemble productions of Arabian Nights and Blue/Orange.

Royal's English teacher brings a  lawsuit to court with the help of a prosecuting attorney played by the impeccable Nan Gurley (Richard III, Merry Wives of Windsor) to have the works of William Shakespeare (portrayed by Nashville mainstay Brian Webb Russell) declared irrelevent. Sitting in judgement of this very challenging case is the no-nonsense judge played by NSF Artistic Director Denice Hicks. 

Performed in a little over an hour at Belmont's Troutt Theatre, the one act show is a rambunctious and magical trip through the works of William Shakespeare with the Bard himself as the tour guide. Gurley's attorney nearly has the judge convinced of the relevance of her client's claim until Shakespeare, himself  long dead but no less in the flesh, arrives and argues his own case enlisting the aide of the audience who become de-facto "jurors" for the duration of the show in an interactive element that has the effect of even further engaging the audience.

When the evidence seems to be turning against Good Old Uncle Will, he unlocks a magical mystery tour of his work that enlists his fellow players to prove his case for him. 

Jon Royal is a delight to watch as his every expression is an editorial and he delivered his parts with convicton and humor. His befuddled looks at the entrance of Russell as W.S. are priceless.

Nan Gurley is magnanimous as ever and conjures the role of the unflinching and stoney countenanced attorney with such ease that one might imagine she has practiced law before--or at least watched a lot of Matlock.

Brian Webb Russell is entirely convincing as the indeliable William Shakespeare. His comic timing is as near perfect as is possible and his delivery is graceful and enlightening.

It was an extra special treat to see Denice Hicks on the stage for a change as the hard nosed judge. She is so often behind the scenes It is easy for many to forget her excellent stagecraft in front of the audience as well.

A wildly educational romp through the world of Shakespeare form the tragic to the comic to the historic and everything in-between, this is perhaps one of the most importnat original works to emerge from NSF if not all of Nashville's theatre community.

It is the hope of this reviewer that NSF will consider reviving the show in the near future or making it a yearly event as it is an excellent primer for anyone who never understood Shakespeare or what the big deal is. Even the biggest skeptic or the most clueless viewer will walk away from a staging of this show with the gratification of having learned something while being thoroughly entertained.