Theater preview: Ronnie McClure helps find new depth in Fresno State adaptation of ‘Twelfth Night’
By Donald Munro
For Fresno-area Shakespeare fans, this weekend is a big deal. There are not one but two fully staged productions on offer. At the Warnors Center for the Performing Arts, Chanticleer Shakespeare Co. is in the second and final weekend of “The Tempest.” And at Fresno State, it’s the opening weekend of “Twelfth Night” at the John Wright Theatre.
I caught up with Ronnie McClure, who is in his first big production at Fresno State, to talk to him about the show, his character of Antonio and his YouTube series.
Q: I’m sure you’ve been encouraging your friends and peers to attend the show. How hard is it these days to convince people your age to see Shakespeare? Do you have a pitch perfected?
A: People I’ve talked with about watching Shakespeare have had the concern that they cannot understand the language being spoken. A strong way I’ve sold the show to family, friends, and peers is assuring them that our cast has perfected the craft of understanding what we are speaking, to allow the language to flow into the ears of the audience with ease and familiarity.
Q: You play Antonio, the sea captain who plays a pivotal role in protecting Sebastian, one of the play’s main characters. What is your take on the relationship between Antonio and Sebastian?
A: One of the many insightful lessons that director Michelle Bellaver has taught me throughout this creative process of ‘Twelfth Night’ is that William Shakespeare wrote his plays with such specificity, that an actor who is aware will pick up everything they need to know and more about their character. Playing the role of Antonio has taught me that Antonio and Sebastian’s relationship is much deeper than a protector and the protected. Antonio is willing to go to the ends of the world with Sebastian as love resonates between both of them throughout their journey in Illyria.
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Q: How does this production differ from a traditional presentation of “Twelfth Night”? Tell me about Bellaver’s adaptation.
A: This iteration of “Twelfth Night” differs from traditional presentations as it delves deep into identity and relationships among the timeless space of Illyria. Themes of love, commitment, and betrayal are expressed through countless forms within all characters of this show.
Q: You’re a freshman theatre arts major. What has your first year been like?
A: A blast! From Day One of this year I have been excitedly learning so much of the craft of acting, taking concepts from classes and applying them to productions like “Twelfth Night.” My first production I was involved in here at Fresno State was ‘Dry Land’ withthe Experimental Theatre Company where I played the role of Victor; an awkward college student with selfish intentions. Between “Dry Land” and “Twelfth Night,” I performed in a short film titled “To You” by Dilan Ramirez. Now the production of ‘Twelfth Night’ will wrap up my freshman year of being an acting major here at Fresno State.
Q: What theater experience did you have beforehand?
A: Prior to Fresno State, I performed in multiple plays and musicals. My favorites have been “A Christmas Carol” as Mr. Cratchit, “The Wizard of Oz” as the Wizard himself (as well as the Munchkins and Jitterbugs). Those productions occurred at Minarets High School during my senior year. My very first theater production was when I was 7 years old playing the role of the Cat in the Hat in an adaptation of ‘Seussical.’ Over the years I always have been drawn to act in several mediums whether it is theater, film and voice performance.
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Q: You have a stop-motion series on the internet. Can you tell me about it?
A: McClure Productions’ on YouTube is the channel I created that contains my stop-motion series that I have been working on for five years. Every aspect of its creative process from story concepts, written at odd hours of the night, to the filming and post production performance of the series is done myself. The story surrounds the civilization known as Ronnie Country being faced against power struggles of conflicting aspects of their world and universe. Each chapter of the series contains episodes that delve deep into storylines that audiences can engage with. “Chapter 0: War with the Imagined Order” and “Chapter 1: Revenge of The Last Reality” are released on the channel, and “Chapter 2: Salvation” is currently in development.
Q: Anything else you’d like to say?
A: It has been an honorable, enjoyable, and insightful experience to be in this production of ‘Twelfth Night’. I am eagerly awaiting audiences to view this show and understand its significance, and to see all the hours of dedication that has been put into this show from all avenues of creativity.
