Last night Clark Park hosted the first performance of the “Merry Wives of Windsor” as part of the annual summer “Shakespeare in Clark Park.” It was great – see the review below written by Kelly Lawler. Also, please check out our photos of the merry performers and the crowd watching them. Not only is Shakespeare in Clark Park a great chance to connect with friends and neighbors and see a great show, it’s also a great place to people-watch.

If they weren’t using Shakespearean language, a passerby might mistake the performance of The Merry Wives of Windsor for a party or a dance or a barbecue in Clark Park’s bowl. And indeed, everyone has fun with the play; the actors, the musicians, and the audience all revel in the ridiculousness and hilarity. And the result is a very pleasant theater experience.

The play, one of Shakespeare’s less-famous comedies, follows several wives and lovers through an absurd series of events. Falstaff, a knight, is in debt and decides to alleviate this problem by seducing the wives of two rich merchants, Mistress Ford and Mistress Page. Meanwhile, Mistress Page’s daughter, Anne, is in love with Fenton, but her father wants her to marry Slender and her mother wants her to marry Dr. Caius. Hilarity ensues.

Merry Wives takes place in Elizabethan Windsor in England, but as is the norm with Shakespeare productions now, it is put in a different setting. The director, Rebecca Wright, chose to place it in an old West setting, complete with cowboy hats and boots and country music. It works well in an outdoor performance like this, where the physical space is so large and so distinct that the actors and the set and the props must also be large and hammy to compensate. If the play were inside a normal theater it might have seemed cheesy, but instead it worked well in the park. The production was at its best when it utilized the space it was in. Not being able to have a traditional “back stage” area the actors were forced to stay in character for the whole performance, even when not in the scene. But this allowed things like young lovers Fenton and Anne to wander off and have a romantic talk under a distant tree.

The production also utilized music very well. A three piece band accompanied much of the show, complete with a banjo and a real washtub-bass. Original songs were written for the production, which was more of a musical than other Shakespeare, but worked really well both with the absurd story of Merry Wives, and with the Western setting. It was also great for the audience who got to clap along to the beat, and join in the party-like atmosphere of the play.

All in all the performance is a lot of fun. The story is easy to follow and quite funny. With a picnic blanket and basket, Shakespeare in Clark Park is a really lovely way to spend a summer evening.

– Kelly Lawler

If you missed last night’s show, there are four more left. For more information, go here.

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The neighborhood watch groups 48th Street Neighbors and Me-Lo Town Watch will jointly host another “porch hop” on August 4 as a way for neighbors to get to know each other better.

The hop will run from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. rain or shine. So far 11 porches spread across both sides of Baltimore Avenue are on the itinerary (see the map below). Snacks and drinks will likely be provided on each porch, but it never hurts to bring along some of your own, including some wine or beer.

Here are some more details:

A 29-year-old man sustained facial injuries during a gunpoint robbery at 12:40 a.m. at 46th Street and Cedar Avenue. Police said the victim was approached by a male who struck him several times in the face and head with a metal object, believed to be a handgun.

The attacker took $45 from the man and ran east on Cedar. As a result of the attack, the victim had cuts and bruises on his face and was taken to Mercy Hospital for treatment.

The attacker is described as a black male, medium complexion, about 5’10” tall, wearing a black T-shirt and shorts. No other details were provided.

Don’t forget about the walking escort service. Call 215-898-WALK (9255) and a Public Safety Ambassador will be dispatched. This is a free service and operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Public school students in West Philly need our help now more than ever. Budget cuts have led to closed school libraries and hits to literacy programs. Luckily, the West Philadelphia Alliance for Children (WePAC) is doing its best to keep elementary school kids reading – but they need volunteers.

WePAC, which opens and staffs closed elementary school libraries, is seeking volunteers for the upcoming school year to help students develop literacy skills. Volunteers will read stories to children and help them select and check out books. Most elementary schools in West Philadelphia no longer have open libraries, according to WePAC. The program keeps the libraries open at no cost to the school.

This fall, WePAC will be serving Anderson, Blankenburg, Cassidy, Cook-Wissahickon, Gompers, Heston, Lea, Leidy, Longstreth, McMichael, Powel and Rhoads elementary schools.

WePAC volunteers serve as literacy assistants in K-2 classrooms and help run after-school newspaper clubs in several schools. As these programs grow, many new volunteers are needed. The minimum time commitment is 2-3 hours each week.

Orientation sessions begin this week and continue through August. If you are interested in volunteering, please visit WePAC’s website at www.wepac.org or call (215) 990-6084.

The legendary bicycle store at 4311 Lancaster Avenue is reopening under new ownership and inviting folks to their Grand Reopening Extravaganza, titled Dances with Wolves, this Saturday, July 28, from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m.Wolff Cycles store was recently purchased by West Philly’s Firehouse Bicycles (50th & Baltimore) and renamed to Wolf Cycles (with 50% less F). The shop has been in operation since the 1930’s.

The grand reopening celebration is free and open to the public. It will feature workshops, a bike ride, catered food and beer and an outdoor movie screening. Also there will be music by live DJ’s and raffle all day. Costumes are encouraged. Here are more details:

11 a.m. – Doors open

2 p.m. – Riding Basics Class hosted by the Bicycle Coalition, for riders 16+
For those who feel nervous navigating Philly’s aggressive drivers and trolley tracks.

3:30 p.m. – West Fairmount Park Public Art Ride
Check out public art and enjoy your wheels. For all ages, but under 18 must be accompanied by a guardian. The ride is approximately 5 miles. Helmets required.

5:30 p.m. – Legal Rights Workshop hosted by the National Lawyers Guild
Learn your rights and responsibilities as a bicyclist involved in a crash.

7 p.m. – Catered Food and Keg of Beer
Food will be provided, but if you want beer, you’ll have to buy a pint glass (only $5).

8:30 p.m. – Outdoor Screening of the movie “RAD”
If weather allows. RAD tells a fantastic fable of an unflappable BMX biker fighting the factory rider to win on the Helltrack.

For more information go to: www.firehousebicycles.com, email firehousebicycles@gmail.com or call 215 222 2171.

A ring of car thieves is apparently operating in Sector 3 of the 18th Police District, between Market and S. 49th Streets and the Schuylkill River, according to information provided by Brian M. Villa, 27th Ward Democratic Committeeman (the 27th ward for the Democratic Executive Committee encompasses Penn’s campus). The police asked for help to address this problem, Villa said.

Toyota Camry models from the 1990s to the 2000s are being specifically targeted, apparently for their metal body parts. The thefts are mostly taking place between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. About a dozen cars were stolen in this area in the past month (see map).

If you see suspicious activity please call 911 and note to the dispatcher that this is a targeted issue of the 18th District police.

Map of car thefts in the 18th Police District, Sector 3, from June 23 to July 23, 2012. “V” stands for vehicle theft. (Source: Crime Reports)