Arts

Poor Tom follows Shakespeare's cues

Outside the University of Texas Main Building, members of Poor Tom, a student-run free Shakespeare troupe, lie on the ground, eyes shut. The group's director, Andy Crouch, circles the group, chanting, "Relax and breathe easy to release negative energy," while toting a cheery infant on his shoulder.

While this may not be a typical play rehearsal, it stays in character with Poor Tom's quirky, utilitarian work ethic.

Take its mission statement, for example: "We think the audience is doing us a favor by coming to our shows," says Joey Sieler, stage manager and founding troupe member. "Their presence is a gift. That's why we don't charge."

"That means each actor only has a copy of their individual lines," as opposed to a conventional modern script that publishes all the lines, Crouch says. "They must follow one-word cues to know when it is their turn to speak. They don't even know who they are saying their lines to. And they have no clue as to when the cue will come."

Though this may sound like a recipe for disaster, Crouch says there is Elizabethan historical precedent for the practice and the group is excited about the results.

"We chose to cue-script entirely because we wanted to have fun with the show," Crouch says. "The cool thing about a cue-script is that when it works well, it results in really good Shakespeare. If it not, then it's like improv comedy. It's a win-win situation."

The play, which the cast rehearsed only sporadically -- another Elizabethan practice -- follows the humorous mishaps that take place when two friends fall in love with the same woman.

Each member of Poor Tom has spent at least one summer in UT's Shakespeare at Winedale program, which allows selected students to spend nine weeks immersed in Shakespeare at the Winedale Historical Center in Round Top. Upon the completion of the Winedale training in 2003, Crouch and Sieler formed Poor Tom as a vehicle to sustain their love for the Bard.

"It's something we are really devoted to -- understanding and having fun with Shakespeare," Sieler says.

Aside from a commitment to the group's cause, part of Poor Tom's charm comes from the troupe's visible dedication to each other. Krista French, who brings her 8-month-old son, Weston, to rehearsals, says these meetings are made easier because Weston is constantly passed from one doting friend to another.

"It's hard to find a balance between being a mom and being who you are," says French, who is an employee at the UT College of Liberal Arts. "Poor Tom helps me do that."

The cast members construct their own costumes on zero budget and are encouraged to be creative. Rather than being an obstacle, the lack of money is seen as a blessing.

"When the actors come up with their outfits, it helps them find out who the character really is," Sieler says.

While admission to the shows are free at the door, the group asks for donations at the shows with the intention of making back the expenses of the play, such as hall rental fees. During its first production of "The Twelfth Night," in the spring, Crouch said Poor Tom received more than enough donations to cover its costs.

"We came out on top by about $60," he says. "We used that on making new flyers." Waste not, want not, in all things Poor Tom.