Reviewed by: Pat Byington
New acting troupe brings Shakespeare to Birmingham’s bars
Reading time: 3 minutes
When you think of William Shakespeare’s plays, you may think of reading the books in high school or going to a historic theater to watch a traveling company perform his works.
This local acting troupe, however, is flipping the script on The Bard’s sonnets.
The Bar’d Shakespeare Company, recently founded by UAB Theatre alumna Isabelle Johnson, was started after she got the idea from a professor.
“He was telling us about how when he lived in Chicago, there was this theater company up there that started going to bars and performing Shakespeare with their friends and just getting their name out there.”
Johnson and her friends wanted to perform Shakespeare, but Birmingham doesn’t have many opportunities right now to do so, she said.
And thus, The Bar’d Shakespeare Company was born. The troupe’s first performance was at the Red Cat Coffee House in Pepper Place back in October. Johnson said they “didn’t really have anything to lose” with their first villain themed opening night.
“We can just give it a try, and if it flops, at least we tried…
“I was so nervous people weren’t going to show up, but lo and behold, people did. It’s really taken off, and that’s been really, really cool.”
That success led to another show at Lee’s Coffee in November, and Johnson was, again, blown away by the support and excitement from the community.
The company’s events aren’t just performances — they involve trivia, games, prizes, drinks and more. At the upcoming shows, there will be special drinks, games and giveaways.
But more importantly, it gives Johnson and her friends a way to truly enjoy acting without the “high stakes” of a professional gig.
“It’s definitely not a traditional kind of cut and dry theatrical production. Rehearsals are in my living room where we get together, and we help coach each other through our monologues to different scenes.
“It’s almost like a guerrilla kind of theater…We can just get together and have a drink and just enjoy what we love to do.”
For now, Johnson isn’t too worried about the future; actors never know where they may end up next, so she and her troupe are enjoying the fun while it lasts.
“The original goal was literally just to have friends come watch us and perform, but now it’s become a thing where people in the community are starting to come, and we’re partnering with local businesses. This is actually like something that could take off.
“I would love the idea of wherever my company members end up — because, you know, acting is not a very stationary thing — having them start their own troupes wherever.”
See The Bar’d Shakespeare Company’s upcoming shows for free at Lee’s Coffee at Workplay on Saturday, Jan. 24 and The Edge Homewood on Saturday, Feb. 28. Keep up with their future shows by following them on Instagram @thebardshakes.
The Royals: The Bar’d Shakespeare Company
- When: Saturday, Feb. 28 at 7PM
- Where: Lee’s Coffee at Workplay (500 23rd Street South)
- Cost: FREE
Shakespeare’s Lovers: The Bar’d Shakespeare Company
- When: Saturday, Feb. 28 at 5:30PM
- Where: The Edge Homewood (817 Green Springs Highway, Homewood)
- Cost: FREE
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