ROYAL OAK, Mich.–If you like Shakespeare and know his works well, then the daytime offering of Water Works’ 2017 season is something you’ll likely enjoy.

It’s a show put together by Artistic Director Sara Catheryn Wolf and Katherine Voigt, originally as a fundraiser that could go on tour. In it, four actors re-enact scenes from Shakespeare having to do with love and war.

Actors Allison Megroet, Nancy Penvose and Craig Ester move in and out of all the roles from such shows as: Henry IV, part II; Much Ado About Nothing; Henry VI; Othello; Coriolanus; Merchant of Venice; Henry IV; Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet; A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Titus Andronicus; and Henry V.

The actors are clearly familiar with their subject and all of them display a familiarity with the Bard’s words, characters and themes.

Ester, who has made previous Shakespearean appearances with Brass Tax Ensemble and the Michigan Shakespeare Festival, makes his Water Works debut with this show. He has a clear command of his roles, alternating with gravitas and light-heartedness. He plays well the persecuted Shylock. He has an excellent voice that carries well in the outdoor setting.

Penrose is from England where she earned a degree in theatre. Since moving here she has performed with Tipping Point, The Dio, Two Muses and Greenfield Village. In this production she was especially talented at giving each character her own personality and body language. She was especially memorable as Emilia in Othello and Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing.

Megroet has a wide range of theater experience including with the Michigan Shakespeare Festival, Shakespeare in Detroit, Open Book Theatre and Puzzle Piece Shakespeare. She excelled as Juliet in the famous balcony scene, showing her flustered and fond, eagerly speaking her love. She also made an excellent Joan of Arc, challenging the Dauphin to allow her to help save France.

Pecek is the only member of the ensemble who has performed with Water Works before, having appeared in the 2015 production of “As You Like It.” He’s also performed in numerous musicals throughout the region. Pecek did well at playing young Shakesperean heroes, in particular Romeo and King Henry V. As the show went on, he relaxed into his roles, making them accessible and interesting. His struggle was to make his characters different enough. His Antonio and Salanio from the two Merchant of Venice scenes were identical and very similar to his Iago.

Wolf keeps each scene running quickly into each other and arranges the scenes to provide contrast to the audience along with opportunities for characters to make the simple costume changes (courtesy of costumer Holly Hellsten Conroy) needed to create new characters. There are 17 scenes in this production and Wolf keeps them moving at a quick pace.

For a show where half of the title indicates sword fighting, the actual fighting, choreographed by Michael Brian Ogden, was somewhat disappointing. They were workmanlike and competent, but they weren’t particularly memorable or exciting.

There are some connecting monologues written by Voigt that provide transitions between the scenes and help to underline the themes of the show. While the program provides brief summaries of each scene, it does help to know the plays that are being presented in order to understand what is happening in each scene. Some easily stand alone—the Romeo and Juliet balcony scene, the court scene in Merchant of Venice and the scene between Iago and Othello in Othello. Others take a little more concentration to follow.

This show will delight Shakespeare fans, but might not be the one to necessarily introduce people to Shakespeare. The delight comes in the recognition of characters and the thrill of hearing so many of the famous speeches and realizing again why they are famous and how they still resonate today.

Click here for show days, times and details.