Yes, Shakespeare might as well be in Latin for all we care these days. It's a dying art, portraying the bard's words on the boards. Usually, the only thing more boarded than the stage is the audience. The Austin Free Shakespeare Society has changed all that. For me and for a lot of other theater goers.

First off - it's free. You have nothing to lose but an evening. Granted, time is valuable in Austin. But the AFSS doesn't waste your time. They present Shakespeare's "The Two Gentlemen of Verona" as a fast paced, rapid fire, witty, vaudevillian revue. The troupe here doesn't ever let up. If one scene or barbed witticism passes you by, another one will be coming soon thereafter to make you giggle with delight. Yes, the poetry and the cadence take a little getting used to and sometimes the language is more of a barrier than a warm embrace, but the exuberance of the players and the unabashed delight of the audience will often have you drenched in delight.

The players in the piece are generally adept. Only Varadarajan Dwarakanath (editor's note: Not a typo) is a liability here. Seemingly, an Indian playing an Indian, his accent is so thick that he simply murders any momentum or tempo the other players have built. It's a shame really. He tries his little heart out, but he's not very good and, worse yet, you can't understand him. So his dialogue is more mangled mess than English language.

And, yes, at times James Winkle's Valentine suffers from the same over exuberence. Winkle's uneasiness comes across more as misplaced and unshaped energy rather than ineptitude however. And hammering in the death nail is Emily Abrams Julia. Unable to figure out the difficult character, she simply plays her as a loon. She doesn't seem to have a brain in her head. It's like watching someone from the county home try to play act the piece.

All of this, of course, is negated by some awesome acting, mainly from Robert Deike as Proteus. This guy is awesome. See him now before it costs you an arm and a leg. If this guy isn't a major star in theater in Austin or NY or somewhere equally as deserving within a year's time, there is no justice in the world. He con overcome any obstacle. He makes his dialogue come to life. With brilliance and a grasp that defies time and space, he turns Shakespeare's ancient couplings into hilarious, poignant, easy-to-digest snack cakes. He is, dare I say it, without flaw. You will not find a better performer on stage anywhere. He wowed me last season in the AFSS production of a Shakespeare comedy and he does not fail his reputation here.

Likewise is Kai Robertson work worthy. He didn't warm up in his performance until he switched from his role as Speed to that of Eglamour. The later, played as a sort of flitty English dandy was incredibly hilarious and fun. It doesn't hurt, of course, that Robertson's look and manner fit the role to a T, but his talent surely is what really carries his performance. And he's just as cute as a button, damn it. You can't fault him for making the most of his facade. Meanwhile, Mark Lovell is a hoot as a swaggering numbskull of a Texas named Thurio. His goofy performance will have you rolling in the aisles. This guy can evoke a laugh with the tip of his Stetson.

There were some other actors of note. Amy Quiggins was wonderful as Lucetta and as an outlaw. She deserved a higher profile role. Shanna Smith was also able to twist the play a bit by performing a role meant for a male. And, of course, Joey, an adorable little pug-nosed dog, stole every scene he was in.

AFSS does not employee directors or other crew, really. The cast members put the play together on their own, in a democratic spirit. The freedom this generates allows some of the cast to be both experimental and to also make wrong choices. But it is their love of the words that truly bring us joy. Watching Lovell try an Italian gangster accent and play a part in a three piece suit while others use period costumes and period vocalization to perform their parts only makes the work more worth watching. We know the choices the actors make, and the chances they take, are of their own undertaking. Often, of course, this works. Both Winkle and Lovell's use the play's words to insert songs into the piece. I'm not sure if this is how the original text indicates these performances should be or not. Regardless, here they make the play sparkle. Winkle has a strong, beautiful voice that almost immediately quieted any giggles the audience made when unsure how to react at having a song slipped in the middle of the play. Later Lovell, joined by Robertson, Deike, and Smith, performed a countrified version of some text that was simply hilarious and perfect. These were delightful interludes inserted into the proceedings.

And the cast always finds time to greet the audience and shake hands after a performance. It's really a wonderful aura in the theater. They don't come out to get kudos. But that's what they do get. And they deserve every word of praise the grateful audience heaps upon them. They really do seem to love what they are doing. It's infectious.

AFSS is an awesome asset to Austin. What they do is remarkable. More then simply putting on plays for free in a town that seems to be money obsessed when it comes to the arts, AFSS make Shakespeare jump and jive. This production isn't perfect, but it's worth your time - and it's worth a few bucks in the donation jar to boot. The only bad thing you can say about AFSS performances is that we just don't get enough of them!

AFSS' "The Two Gentlemen of Verona runs Fri and Sat at 8pm through May 6th at the CMA Auditorium (CMA 2.320) in the College of Communication building, UT Campus. Located at the corner of Dean Keaton St. (26th St.) and Whitis Ave, one block east of Guadalupe.