Shakespeare’s ‘Cleopatra and Antony’ brings ancient worlds to life in Pittsburgh parks

Walking past the central fountain in Highland Park and through the emerald-colored grass on Sunday afternoon, visitors encountered a tent in the shadows of a large tree. Surrounding the tent were individuals dressed in Roman armor or ancient Egyptian jewels. 

Shakespeare in the Parks, a nonprofit theater organization, hosts a journey back in time every weekend of September with their newest production, “Cleopatra and Antony.” The two-hour show is set to take place across six Pittsburgh parks every Saturday and Sunday through Oct. 1. 

Jennifer Tober, the stage director and founding artistic director of the organization, said the purpose behind shows in the park is to be accessible to all. Tober said she believes that a great show does not require a large theater, instead simply a welcoming environment for viewers. 

“In addition to doing theater in an accessible way and making it fun, we don’t have a giant theater where the lights are off, we’re all just one, the audience and the performers,” Tober said. “All the music is acoustic and it’s amazing, we have a tent for them [actresses] to change and as sort of a backdrop, we have very minimal set pieces” 

The production of “Cleopatra and Antony” is composed of nine actresses, each playing multiple roles. Tober shared that the casting of an all-female crew is meant to elevate the role of women in theater and modernize Shakespearean plays. 

“We want to push back against the typical patriarchal system in which men make more money and have more opportunities,” Tober said. “In Shakespeare’s time, all the roles were played by men, and no women were allowed to perform.” 

Harper York, an actress for Shakespeare in the Parks, is revisiting the role of Mark Antony after she played him in “Julius Caesar.” York said that she finds great value in the work she does, especially since the plays reach a very diverse audience. 

“The first show I did with Shakespeare in the Park was “Julius Caesar.” It was an all-female production and I got cast as Mark Antony, which was an absolute dream,” York said. “I think it’s incredibly important to have free Shakespeare accessible to everyone. We take these around to all the different parks and every single park has a different audience that it comes to, you get to see a true picture of life in Pittsburgh.”

The events depicted in “Cleopatra and Antony” occurred over two thousand years ago between the city of Alexandria in ancient Egypt and the Roman Empire. In the park, where the stage and the audience are separated by a rope, the cast and crew faced challenges in bringing the story of love and war to life with minimal resources. 

Matt Calvetti, the music director of the production, plays a significant role in capturing the essence of the play. Calvetti said that he used musical instruments to create the different settings and environments in the play. 

“I bought the gongs to set the different worlds, like Egypt would have a more Middle Eastern percussion sound,” Calvetti said. “Caesar and Antony have more military roles which would be more of a snare drum in the background.”

Though Shakespeare’s original telling of “Antony and Cleopatra” was a tragedy, Shakespeare in the Parks transformed it into a joyous performance. The play morphed into a musical with songs like “Single Ladies” by Beyoncé and “Milkshake” by Kelis that crafted a diva persona for Cleopatra. 

Calvetti said he solved the challenge of music without electricity by simplifying songs into singing supported by guitar and drums. 

“The thing with being outside is you don’t have electricity, so what can you do with acoustic, whether it’s guitar or drums,” Calvetti said. “In this particular show, many songs were percussion-oriented like ‘Single Ladies’ and ‘Milkshake.’” 

The lack of technology was not the only challenge the crew overcame. York said most of the nine actresses in the show play a minimum of two roles. Despite the challenge of playing multiple roles, York finds great enjoyment in switching between characteristically different roles. 

“I play Mark Antony and the clown –– I go from being the tallest person in the cast to the shortest,” York said. “It’s a challenge but it’s also dead fun.”

Callee Miles, the actress playing the roles of Cleopatra and Octavia, takes on two of the most significant roles in the show. Despite being the lead of the play, Miles did not always know she wanted to act professionally. Miles said the choice to do theater is a significant one that relies on a love of the performing arts. 

“You have to decide how much you love it –– there is no shame in not loving it enough to sign up for your whole life being turned upside down,” Miles said. “If you can’t imagine yourself doing something else, just keep learning, keep reading, and keep having life experiences because that’s what shows are about ––it’s life experience.” 

For those who decide that theater is their path to follow, York recommends taking risks and having fun. York said to not be afraid of failure and trust that it’s only a part of the process. 

“Try anything, try everything, go out, and don’t be afraid to be a fool,” York said. “Keep trying and find the things that you’re drawn to. You will find your place –– keep searching for it.”