Arts Agenda - Season of reruns

Shakespeare Tavern stages ‘August Threepeat’

The old vaudeville stages used to spotlight performers who’d specialize in outstanding feats of memory. In retrospect it seems dubious as entertainment, but repertory theater routinely features stunning displays of remembrance. The Shakespeare Tavern’s “August Threepeat” is a prime example, with repertory “reruns” of the theater’s three comedies produced in the past season. Each weekend in August will feature a production of either A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Aug. 4, 13, 18, 26), Twelfth Night (Aug. 5, 11, 19, 27) or As You Like It (Aug. 6, 12, 20, 25). Each show will have only one day for refreshing rehearsal, promising a looser approach to the plays, and accordingly, the Tavern is slashing its ticket prices in half.

The August Threepeat will especially be a marathon for Tavern favorites Agnes Harty and Dikran Tulaine. In Midsummer, they have the dual roles of Titania/Hippolyta and Oberon/Theseus, respectively. In Twelfth Night, she’s Olivia, he’s Sir Toby Belch, while in As You Like It, she’s the cross-dressing Rosalind, and he’s Jaques. All but a handful of actors will be reprising their roles from the original productions, including Kathleen Wattis, Shelby Hofer and Tim Habeger, as well as the Tavern regulars.

Dream, by the way, will feature a different Bottom each night, to be played by either Doug Kaye, Jeffrey Watkins and Tony Brown. On Aug. 13, in keeping with the “Threepeat’s” anything-goes approach, Watkins and Brown will flip a coin during the pre-show speech to see who dons the donkey head that night.

The August “Threepeat” plays Aug. 4-27 at the New American Shakespeare Tavern, 499 Peachtree St., with performances at 7:30 p.m. Fri. and Sat. and 6:30 p.m. Sun. $10-15. 404-874-5299.