Here's something you rarely see as a free giveaway gift: Rocks. The organizers of Shakespeare on the Sound give rocks to audiences who attend the free open-air
performances in Pinkney Park in Rowayton, CT. But the rocks are not meant to be thrown at the actors.
"Theatergoers are permitted to place their blankets on the grass starting at 4:00pm to get a good sightline in anticipation of the opening curtain at 7:30pm," explains Marven
Moss, publicist for Shakespeare on the Sound. "Rather than loll around in the park for hours, many go home or go about the rest of their day before returning for the curtain. A
typical old Connecticut stone wall lines one side of the park. To prevent the blankets from being blown away by the wind, some people used to pluck rocks from the wall to anchor
their blankets. So to preserve the wall, we provide the blanketers with other rocks we inventory from year to year in plastic tubs."
Shakespeare on the Sound will next present "Macbeth" from June 15 to July 2. For Moss, the PR challenge is getting today's young audiences hooked on Shakespeare.
"We recognize Shakespeare was an unpleasant, force-fed experience for many in school," says Moss. "We advance that concept that the work of the world's greatest English-
language playwright needs to be seen in-person, onstage as part of an audience, to be fully appreciated for its rich pageantry, the poetry of his expression and the self-
illuminating metaphors that can help guide us through life. In this age of electronic gimmickry, video games and reality TV, society needs to be reminded the stage is a vital
medium that carries from one generation to the next."
Contact: Marven Moss, [email protected].