John de Lancie and Marnie Mosiman

Smithsonian Journeys program manager Lauren Szymanoski interviews John de Lancie and Marnie Mosiman

Q: John, you have a deep-rooted history in symphonic music as an accomplished performer, director, and host. How did you become involved with Shakespeare from a musical perspective?

A: I've created two new musical events using Shakespeare's text. Romeo and Juliet has been performed with two actors, two singers, and two dancers and with music by eleven composers including Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Hensa, Gounod, and Rota. For A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the music is by Mendelssohn and Korngold. These performances were done with symphony orchestras in Los Angeles and Chicago and were fully staged. What fascinated me was how the orchestral composers interpreted the plays.

Q: Marnie, you have done dramatic readings for classical productions of various genres. What do you find most challenging about lending vocal dramatization to the works of Shakespeare?

A: The difficulty, and the joy, of Shakespeare is to find the immediacy and sense of the language while maintaining the beauty of the poetry. It is somewhat similar to preparing art songs—first pulling apart the meaning, translating every nuance and grammatical turn, then exploring rhythms, meter, and melody. Only when those technical issues have been thoroughly absorbed can you really let go and perform with the freshness and intensity that Shakespeare's genius promises.

Q: Marnie, are "period" productions of Shakespeare more the trend than with other theatrical or musical works? What do adaptations bring to the appreciation of classical works?

A: In Shakespeare's plays there are over 400 references to music. Most scholars agree that performance practice of the time would have been to sing the text to a familiar tune. Contemporary practice seems to be that these musical moments are opportunities for the production team (which these days always includes a musical director) to further enhance their concept of the play. I never quite know what I will be expected to sing! For the performances onboard the ship, however, I plan to use traditional music of the Elizabethan period, which is pretty familiar to most of us because it is the basis for the folk song tradition we know. Other songs are not as well known—for example, the tune for "Where the Bee Sucks" from The Tempest was written by Robert Johnson, a member of The King's Men, the acting company to which Shakespeare belonged.

Q: John, can you give us a preview of what your adaptative performance will entail?

A: Marnie and I are currently working on the material. Finding a "point of view" was our first concern. For the Smithsonian program, I felt the more intimate the experience the better, as the audience will be people who enjoy the words and who will concentrate on the material. Familiar sonnets, monologues, and scenes punctuated with song will, I hope, provide an opportunity to hear Shakespeare in a unique way.

Q: What are some of the insights about Shakespeare’s works that you hope to share with Smithsonian travelers through your interpretations?

A: Perhaps what Marnie and I bring to the mix can be stated in one word—personalized. While understanding Shakespeare is in the purview of the academic, feeling Shakespeare is the job of the actor.

Q: How would you suggest a newcomer approach Shakespeare?

A: Read Shakespeare out loud. Start with the sonnets and the great speeches. If what you've picked is too hard to understand, move on to the next. Go slowly. Make it easy. Know that you will come back to the material over and over again and each time you'll find more insight—you'll be in touch in a different and, hopefully, a more profound way.