The virtual Bard: American Stage does Shakespeare

A cross-section of popular actors and sundry bay area theater-makers you probably haven’t seen in a while are coming together Sunday to put on a show. Virtually, of course.

Comedy of Errors, streaming live Sunday at 2 p.m., is the second in American Stage’s four-show series “Shakespeare Lite,” a way to not only stream some badly-needed entertainment, but to give bay area thespians, most of whom have been chomping at the bit, something creative and constructive to do.

“Everybody is game, and hungry, and maybe a little bit cautious and dubious about this new format that we’re working in,” American Stage Associate Artistic Director Kristin Clippard said earlier this week on The Catalyst Sessions. “But very excited to be jumping back into rehearsal.”

Chris Crawford, freeFall Theatre’s Associate Artistic Director, is in charge of Comedy of Errors. The cast – none of them will be together in the same room – includes Enoch King (last seem in the marvelous Skeleton Crew), Greyson Lewis (The Foreigner), Kristin Clippard herself (she directed Silent Sky and The Roommate last year at AS), Dee Selmore (King’s castmate in Skeleton Crew), AS Associate Producer Jim Sorenson (2019’s Mamma Mia), apprentice Skye Lindberg, Spence Gabriel , Katrina Stevenson (most recently in Jobsite’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream) and Courtney McLaren (Miss Bennett: Christmas at Pemberley).

July will bring a weekly virtual series of 10-minute short plays; in August, American Stage is planning “Living Room Plays,” selected scenes from shows performed over the company’s four decades-plus.

Rigister for the “pay what you can” Zoom stream here.

Here’s Clippard talking about her direction of Romeo and Juliet, the first Shakespeare Lite show, from June 7.