‘Irreverent’ Tries to Put Twang in Bard

Dennis Weaver’s one-man show “Irreverent Shakespeare” is anything but irreverent. Informal in a manner that suits its charming star, this Group Repertory Theatre’s special benefit performance is much too reverent and conservative to give a new spin on the Bard.

Dressed in a black velveteen poet’s shirt, tight black jeans adorned with a turquoise-laden silver buckle and black cowboy boots, Weaver doesn’t exactly avoid his television western image, legacies from his roles on “Gunsmoke” and “McCloud.” In his most original moments, he embraces it. Strumming a guitar, he imagines Shakespeare as a country-western singer and Romeo’s soliloquy becomes a twangy love song.

Yet leaping from Hamlet to Romeo to King Richard II with rhyme, but no discernible reason, Weaver proceeds with indulgent abandon. The program lacks a cohesive, unifying vision. Instead, it is like a concert of show-stopping arias performed by a less than ideal voice. There is no tension; there is no drama; there is no magic.

If the question behind this production is, “What would Shakespeare say if he were alive today?” it remains unanswered.

* “Irreverent Shakespeare,” Group Repertory Theatre, 10900 Burbank Blvd., North Hollywood. Friday-Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 3 p.m. Ends Sunday. $20. (818) 769-PLAY. Running time: 1 hour, 50 minutes.