Kobe or not Kobe: That is the question. Basketball geek that I am, I watched the majority of the NBA finals this year, even though my beloved Cleveland Cavaliers had made an unceremonious exit in the previous round. But when I heard the above promo spot introducing the games, I had no clue I was listening to Nashville theater mainstay Barry Scott. In fact I didn't know until yesterday, when a co-worker forwarded the freshly posted YouTube video. In addition to his illustrious theater career in Nashville—he's the founder and producing artistic director of the American Negro Playwright Theatre at Tennessee State University—it seems Scott has carved out quite a niche as a voice-over artist. And when you hear his voice, it makes perfect sense: If they make another Star Wars film, he could give James Earl Jones stiff competition for the Darth Vader role. Currently, Scott is directing the TSU Summer Stock Theatre production of the uproarious The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), which runs Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights through July 25. Here's what Scene theater writer Martin Brady has to say in this week's issue:
Later this summer, a lot of Nashvillians will be visiting the Nashville Shakespeare Festival's production of this very same show, a rollicking, irreverent, improv-laced takeoff on the works of the Bard. The TSU Summer Stock Theatre's production, under the direction of Barry Scott, takes a distinctly huge liberty with authors Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield's popular, oft-staged script: While it's intended for a tight trio of players, Summer Stock have expanded it to an ensemble of nearly 20 young faces. Truth is, showcasing the talent in this format just might work to everyone's benefit, since Complete Works is an off-the-cuff bit of spoofery that mainly requires a lot of energy, and it hits and misses with the Shakespeare jokes anyway. Overall, this version aims to adhere to the intended satirical mood, but also promises to "explore the boundaries of political correctness and racial stereotypes." That may add some seasoning, for sure.
