When the Bard Was but a Boy : Before Shakespeare Was an Icon, He Was ‘William of Stratford’--and He Still Is, at the Grove

As an adolescent, I lumped reading Shakespeare and flossing my teeth under the same heading: beneficial but boring. Sure, I’d be a better person for it, but gee, couldn’t it wait till I was too old (say 30) for more exciting stuff?

That’s the kind of thinking that Greg Atkins has set out to change. With “William of Stratford,” the Long Beach playwright wants to give audiences a greater appreciation of the Bard by portraying him not as an icon, but as a small-town youth struggling toward a dream. Commissioned by the Grove Shakespeare company through a grant from the Anaheim-based Leo Freedman Foundation, “William of Stratford” will premiere tonight and run through April 25 at the Gem Theatre in Garden Grove.

“I see this as an introduction to Shakespeare on a more humanistic level,” explained Atkins, who also directs the show. “Oftentimes, we think of Shakespeare as an old guy who wrote plays . . . not as a young man with dreams and hopes, a man with incredible passion.”

“William of Stratford,” set in 1580, takes place in Stratford-on-Avon during a week of young William’s life. According to Atkins, some of the play’s circumstances and characters are based on historical fact, others are not. Together, they are designed to give audiences a rare insight into Shakespeare as a man and, ultimately, a better understanding of his works.

“Within these 90 minutes, I’ve tried to create a real world for William,” said Atkins. “I wanted to give him a three-dimensional life. He falls in love, he fights with his friends, he doubts himself. . . . He goes through a lot, but each event propels him toward his dream.

“Basically, I’m trying to show where William got his ideas and his words,” he continued, adding that his title character is “a smart young man who gets out of his scrapes with his mouth and his brain.”

Although it is recommended for viewers as young as age 8, “William of Stratford” is not a children’s play per se, said Atkins. Youngsters may be entertained by the show’s physical action and visuals, but adults, especially those familiar with Shakespeare’s works, will enjoy it on a different level.

“There are bits of ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ ‘Taming of the Shrew,’ ” explained Atkins. “People will be able to identify some of the quotes; there’s even a sonnet in it.

“The play is very romantic, very robust, very gritty . . . in the sense that no one is clean in this show. I’ve tried to transport the audience back to this time, but in a way they can identify with; 1560 was completely different from 1992, but people and dreams and desires don’t change.”

Atkins’ 10-member cast includes children and adults. Joseph Foss, whom Atkins describes as “a very dynamic young man and a wonderful storyteller,” plays William. Grove regular Gary Bell plays the vicar, “an old man unlearned in religion but excellent at curing hawk.” South Coast Repertory regular Ron Boussom plays Lodowick Greville, an overzealous, “absolutely vile” gameskeeper Atkins says is based on an actual figure in Shakespeare’s life.

According to Grove managing director Barbara Hammerman, “William of Stratford” is the first family show to be commissioned by the theater company. “We brought Greg’s ‘Everyday Adventures of Harriet Handleman’ to the Gem last spring for a few performances,” she said. “It wasn’t something our audiences were used to, but when they found it and liked it, they wanted more. (“Harriet,” a light adventure-comedy, is currently being peddled to Fox Television, NBC and other networks as a possible series.)

“We see (‘William’) as an excellent introduction to Shakespeare,” she added. “One of the things we want to do is to celebrate the language of Shakespeare and point out that it’s very accessible.”

Although “William of Stratford” is classified as a “bonus show” and not part of the Grove’s regular subscription series, it marks the beginning of the theater company’s “Great Shakes Alive” celebration, a yearlong nod to the 400th anniversary of the earliest productions of Shakespeare’s plays.

Associated events during the run include an intermission cake and punch party to celebrate the Bard’s birthday on April 23, a Queen’s birthday dinner and fund-raiser that includes traditional English fare, costumed characters and performances on April 25, and a free bring-your-own picnic in the park on April 26 outside the Gem with Shakespearean entertainment. The theater is also sponsoring a Shakespearean-themed essay contest for high school students through the Garden Grove School district, and is bringing school groups in for “William” performances and post-show discussions.

What: “William of Stratford.”

When: Through April 25. Performances are Thursday through Saturday at 7 p.m., Friday at 11 a.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m.

Where: Gem Theatre, 12852 Main St., Garden Grove.

Whereabouts: From the Garden Grove (22) Freeway, exit at Euclid Street, drive north. At Acacia Avenue, drive west. The theater is located at the corner of Acacia and Main.

Wherewithal: $9 to $18.

Where to call: (714) 636-7213.