Shakespeare in the Park Presents Twelfth

Night Summer 2023

By Tana Poncsak

If left up to the Kenyon family, residents of Grayson will all know William Shakespeare and his works. Since 2019, the Kenyon family has brought Shakespeare in the Park to Grayson and this year is no exception. The next performance will be Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, held July 21-23 at the Grayson City Park amphitheater.

Tyler Kenyon and his family have been a theater family for longer than he’s been alive, and from the time his brother Drew came up with the idea to bring Shakespeare to the park, the family was all in. Whether it was performing, directing, or costumes or lighting, in the beginning it was all done in-house, and by that Tyler means quite literally – his parents’ house.

“We all have different things we do, and every once in a while one of us will hop on stage,” he says. “But for the most part, all the backstage work is done entirely by the family.”

But why Shakespeare? With all the “thee(s)” and “thou(s),” it’s easy to think of Shakespeare’s work as highbrow, and perhaps, even irrelevant to today’s audiences. But Tyler says, quite the contrary. And that’s the beauty of bringing Shakespeare to the Park.

“In the ninth grade, most everyone reads Romeo and Juliet,” he explains. “That may be the most exposure some will ever get to Shakespeare in their entire life. That’s one of the reasons we wanted to bring it back – to reintroduce people to the stories they already know and love.”

Tyler points out that Shakespeare is completely relevant in today’s world. His case in point being that the majority of movies are modern day adaptations of Shakespeare’s work. For example, The Lion King is just a version of Hamlet. 10 Things I Hate About You is a version of The Taming of the Shrew. Westside Story is Romeo and Juliet.

“And even the show we’re doing this year, Twelfth Night, was made into a movie, She’s the Man, and they don’t even bother to change the names in the movie,” Tyler adds. “They are the stories without all the funny language, but still the stories we all know and love.”

In addition to the family’s theater background, education runs strong in the Kenyon household. Tyler is a teacher at Lanier High School in Buford. His mother is a longtime teacher at Grayson High School. His brothers are either teaching or in school earning a degree to teach. And his father was in public safety but has a history in performing. Along with being entertaining, if someone learns a thing or two while performing or watching the play in the audience, then the Kenyon family has reached its goal.

Tyler says when they hear someone say, “If it weren’t for this performance, I would’ve never seen a Shakespeare play,” or “That was the first time I understood what Shakespeare was saying,” or “I understood the joke or the story,” they are happy. This is why they love bringing Shakespeare in the Park to the community. Tyler says it’s hearing about these “aha moments” that’s most rewarding.

Over the years, the Kenyon family has learned a thing or two about putting on a performance like this. And as with most things, there’s been a learning curve, especially when it comes to sets.

“Massive sets are a pain to move in the 90-degree Georgia summer heat,” Tyler says. “And microphones have also been added so performers can be heard over the other sounds around the park.”

And then there’s just being prepared for anything, including inclement weather and wildlife.

“It seems like every year there’s something new and totally unexpected,” Tyler explains. “We’ve had kids and squirrels and birds and other things run and fly across the stage in the middle our shows. So really we’ve learned to be prepared for absolutely anything.”

The number of participants needed each year depends on the show. This year they’ll need about twenty people, which includes performers and backstage help. And the city, including the mayor, are always very helpful and generous with the production needs.

“And then the audience,” Tyler adds. “It’s more fun to put on a show when people are around to watch. The beautiful thing about performing in the park is that the majority of the audience is already in the park that day. They see the show and wander over. It’s nice to have people supporting the events and to give back to the community with free theater.”

Bring your chairs, blankets, a picnic, and the family to the park July 21st through 23rd.

More information at https://www.graysonshakes.org/.