The Bard goes West

Alex Torra heads up this year’s Shakespeare in Clark Park

Sitting on a grassy hillside in Clark Park, director Alex Torra pats the ground with his hand. “Come have a seat in my office,” he offers with a nod.  

Tapped by the budding Shakespeare in Clark Park to direct its fourth annual production, Torra is attempting to fuse the Bard’s “Comedy of Errors” with the expansive landscape of West Philly’s favorite meeting place.

And that’s no easy task.

As he sits cross-legged on the grass for our interview, he periodically keeps tabs on the very intricate tech rehearsal in progress. Each actor tests his or her body mic — in turn, sending pentameter soaring through the trees, and causing children on a nearby jungle gym to stop  and quizzically gaze toward the stage.

“The thing about this show is that it’s about an event. It’s about people coming together with their picnic baskets and putting their blankets out, and hanging out with everybody,” says Torra. “So in the play, every decision comes from that event-ness of this thing.”

‘Comedy of Errors’
Through Sunday, 7 p.m.
Clark Park, free
shakespeareinclarkpark.org