SOLSC Day 18: Drunk Shakespeare

Drunk Shakespeare — that’s the name of a performance put on by the Drunk Shakespeare Society. I saw it tonight with my daughter and her partner (they had already seen it three times).

            The conceit is drinking: all audience members receive a shot of some liqueur (mine was red; I think it was grenadine) as we enter the theater, set up like a cozy library lounge where all the books are arranged by color of binding. There’s a bar, and you can order a variety of beers, basic wine, or esoteric cocktails. One actor each night is the designated drinker, starting off with four shots of whiskey — and an audience member is invited to drink a shot to assure us that it’s real whiskey.

           The evening is like a literate drunken college party of thespians having fun with a condensed Macbeth, with a fair amount of improv and audience participation — and more drinking. At one point, Banquo is announcing the people in attendance, and I was pointed out as Lady Gaga of the Future (prompted by my white hair and pink bangs?). Later, I was selected to choose a badass name for Banquo’s son (Fleance, in Shakespeare’s play), and when I shouted out “Gangsta-X,” I got a fistbump from Macbeth, and applause from the audience.
            If you’re ever visiting New York, and aren’t a recovering alcoholic, I highly recommend this silly romp.