Cymbeline
Ancient Britain may seem to be a world apart from 1904 Pittsburgh. But two of Nashville’s most respected actors are discovering plenty of common ground as Nashville Shakespeare Festival and Kennie Playhouse Theatre team up once again for the 34th annual Summer Shakespeare — featuring the Bard’s rarely produced Cymbeline and August Wilson’s powerful Gem of the Ocean.
The season kicks off Aug. 18 with Cymbeline — a wild ride of romance, intrigue and adventure that finds a wicked queen plotting to marry off her stepdaughter (the daring princess Imogen) to her own spoiled son. Meanwhile, Gem of the Ocean follows Aunt Ester — a 285-year-old wise woman and “soul cleanser,” who takes in a mysterious young man and guides him on a journey of spiritual awakening. Gem is set the earliest in Wilson’s landmark Pittsburgh Cycle — a collection of 10 plays that explore the African American experience in the 20th century — though it wasn’t produced until 2003.
As the executive artistic director of NSF, Denice Hicks finds the pairing to be a natural fit, with both plays employing magical elements, while exploring themes of betrayal, forgiveness and reconciliation.
“These two master playwrights understood the complexity of the human heart,” says Hicks, who plays the evil Queen in Cymbeline. “They’re two of the best to ever walk the earth, and I love the way these plays complement each other. To see how poetic August Wilson is, and how relevant Shakespeare is — it really speaks to the power of theater and its ability to connect with contemporary audiences.”
Gem of the Ocean
Jackie Welch, who is taking on the coveted role of Aunt Ester in Gem, agrees with that assessment, pointing to Gem’s compelling themes and lyrical language.
“I was familiar with the play, of course, but had never actually seen it,” says Welch, an accomplished actor, writer, director and improv performer. “So stepping inside that script for the first time was amazing. I had moments where I had to put it down because it made me teary to think of August Wilson being gone. When you look at the breadth of his work, his understanding of the craft, it’s almost overwhelming. And to find so much of this story, which is set in 1904, resonating with what we’re dealing with today — just amazing. It’s demanding on so many levels, but I’m really having a blast.”
As delighted as Welch is to be performing in Gem, she’s just as excited to see her friend Denice Hicks back in action.
“Denice is such a creative powerhouse,” she says. “I love watching her step into any role. She goes in full body, full heart and mind. Her intellect is sort of soft and cuddly because she always leads with her heart, but she also knows how to navigate in a role. I have such respect for her as an actor, but I’m also grateful for her friendship.”
It’s a friendship that goes back more than 30 years. Hicks and Welch were both original company members of the former Tennessee Repertory Theatre (now known as Nashville Repertory Theatre), and have worked together many times over the years — in everything from classic comedies and dramas to new musicals and television and films. The two appeared in the 1991 Jim Varney comedy Ernest Scared Stupid, and also were involved with the short-lived Saturday morning children’s series Hey Vern, It’s Ernest!
“That was such a great example of our local film community,” says Hicks, who remembers one particular episode in which she played a school nurse, trying to corral a bunch of students infected with “dance fever.” “It was just crazy fun, and it had Nashville written all over it.”
The two also have fond memories of Some Sweet Day — an original musical produced in the early days of Tennessee Rep.
“Some productions just have a way of revealing the heart of the people involved,” Welch says. “And that was surely one of them. Everyone was so connected to the work and to each other, and that was really a potent thing for me.”
Such memories loom large as the two friends prepare to take the stage once more.
“I think when you’ve been at it for so long, there’s always a sense of gratitude for those who were so important to our own development as artists, as well as to the development of our theater community,” Hicks says. “People like Mac Pirkle [who co-founded Tennessee Rep in 1985] and of course Barry Scott, who is so dearly missed. They’re still present in all of our work, I think. And I hope audiences feel that as they come out to the festival — the history, the friendship, the magic. Come out, spend an evening sitting under the sky with friends, really connecting. And as a bonus, you get to see these fabulous plays. What could be better?”
