#tedbarton

Please introduce yourself! Who are you playing in R&J?

Capulet.

Please give us a brief summary of the play FROM YOUR CHARACTER'S POINT OF VIEW.

Although initially reluctant to see my daughter married so young, the prospect of a highly advantageous match with the County Paris proves irresistible. If only there were more hours in the day! I must, in rapid succession, meet with the Prince ( to be bound, along with my enemy Montague, to keep the peace ), host "an old accustom'd feast", discipline my hotheaded nephew Tybalt, deal with his murder, and arrange my daughter's wedding sooner than anticipated. Imagine my hurt and anger when, after so much effort on my part, she refuses to marry Paris!

Tell us a bit about your history with Shakespeare and the Porters.

I grew up in Detroit, and saw my first Shakespeare play, The Comedy of Errors, at The Stratford Festival, in Ontario, Canada, when I was in 4th grade. As an actor, I've been privileged to play Shakespeare festivals in Colorado, Arizona, and California, at one of which, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, I met Charles Pasternak, which led to my playing Exeter in Henry V for the Porters.

R&J may be the most famous play ever written. What surprised you about working on it? Did you have any assumptions about the play or the characters that you discovered were wrong?

I've played Capulet previously as a straight heavy, which is how he's often portrayed. This time, I was surprised by how sympathetic I found him. I think he's a victim of the rush of events as much as our "star-cross'd lovers". He genuinely loves his daughter, but he's severely limited in his outlook, and can't conceive of her as an autonomous individual.

What's your favorite quote (or two)?

The earth hath swallow'd all my hopes but she, She is the hopeful lady of my earth.

And finally, where can we learn more about you and what you're up to?

I'm pretty slipshod in this regard, but I guess my Facebook page would be a start!

There are so many contenders, of course… but if I had to choose the most incredible moment I have ever experienced in the theatre, in a show I was in… it would be a moment I was not on stage for.

I was playing Hal, in HENRY IV, part 2 for Shakespeare Santa Cruz, directed by Scott Wentworth… and I had numerous moments I was incredibly proud of. My confrontation scene with the incredible V. Craig over the crown was one of the most demanding and fulfilling I have ever played -- Marco came up to both of us after our dress run to express his awe at our playing (and if you know me, and you know how I feel about Marco Barricelli, you know what that means). The speech over the death of my father and what a king I would be (really, the first moment we see Henry V) gave me shivers every night -- I loved playing that. And rejecting Falstaff, as hard as it was for me (as an actor) gave me great satisfaction. But no, none of them were my favorite. Going further, neither playing Hotspur nor Hamlet (my other two favorites) live up to this:

I would exit stage and rush to change. When I was through, I would rush back up the stairs. V would be sitting there listening during Act 5, Scene 3, and I would get there just in time to hear Ted Barton (as Silence) sing:

“Do nothing but eat, and make good cheer, And praise God for a merry year; When flesh is cheap and females dear, And lusty lads roam here and there So merrily, so merrily, And ever among so merrily…

An we shall be merry, now comes in the sweet o’ the night.”

We were under the redwoods, under the stars, and it was perfect.