The Bard Set to Song

When Agoura resident William Clark takes his show on the road, he becomes William Shakespeare, often in full Elizabethan costume. You can see his performance, “Shakespeare in Song,” Sunday at the Simi Valley Library.

The event is sponsored by the Simi Valley Friends of the Library and the local branch of the National League of American Pen Women as part of their ongoing quarterly Sunday Series featuring talks by authors, artists and performers.

Clark, a former Ventura County schoolteacher, has performed in lead roles in “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Carousel,” “My Fair Lady” and “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” But he didn’t discover Shakespeare until six years ago, when he was asked to audition for the part of Feste in a college production of “Twelfth Night.”

“In the play there are the lyrics, but not always music, so you have to come up with something of your own,” Clark said. “That’s the first time I realized I could write music.”

For the last three years, Clark has been writing music, lecturing and performing Shakespeare throughout the West. The songs he has composed to accompany Shakespeare’s sonnets are set to the blues, jazz and western music.

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Much about Shakespeare remains a mystery, Clark said. For instance, he died on April 23, 1616, which was his 52nd birthday. Before that, he kept changing his will.

“In his poetry, he talks about the mortality of his life and of his poetry,” Clark said. “He said that the only way to immortality is through poetry or through birth--his own line died out with his son--so his name could not go forward. He had two daughters, and one of them turned out to be a rascal, and that’s why he kept changing his will.”

Shakespeare never seems to go out of vogue. Recently, there have been a number of books and movies on the life of the author. Isaac Asimov has written a tome dealing with the mythology in Shakespeare’s works, Clark said.

“Shakespeare was very much aware of Greek philosophy and of Plato,” he said. “In his grammar-school days, they didn’t have ‘Winnie the Pooh.’ They had to read the classics. His work is loaded with Greek and Roman mythology.”

Clark said he finds the controversy that surrounds Shakespeare’s authorship great fun. While he claims to be no scholar, he is certain that the same person wrote both the poems and the plays, because of the consistency in the language.

Clark sings to all ages and is delighted to have people come up to him and start quoting Shakespeare. He noted that there are more than 10,000 Internet sites on the author, covering everything from organized groups to ongoing festivals.

When he isn’t contributing to Shakespeare’s immortality, Clark, who said he is in his late 50s, is a certified teacher for child actors on the sets of films and commercials.

DETAILS

* Today: 10:30 a.m. Charles West will discuss and sign “The Sacred Disc.” Mysteries to Die For, 2940 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks, 374-0084.

* Today: 5:30 p.m. A representative from “The Princeton Review” will present a free 90-minute seminar on strategies to help raise SAT test scores. Borders, 125 W. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks, 497-8159.

* Sunday: 10:30 a.m. The Meaningful Life Book Club focuses on “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor E. Frankl. Thousand Oaks Barnes & Noble, 160 S. Westlake Blvd., 446-2820.

* Sunday: 2 p.m. Shakespeare in Song by singer/composer William Clark. Simi Valley Library, 2969 Tapo Canyon Road. Free to Friends of the Library, $5 general, $3 for students and seniors, 581-1906.

* Tuesday: 9:30 a.m. Beatrix Potter stories. Ventura Barnes & Noble, 4360 E. Main St., 339-9170.

* Tuesday: 4:30 p.m. People and Places will focus on author Bill Peet. Thousand Oaks Barnes & Noble, 446-2820.

* Tuesday: 7 p.m. David Kennedy will discuss and sign “Feng Shui for Dummies.” Borders, 497-8159.

* Tuesday: 7 p.m Monthly poetry workshop. Borders, 497-8159.

* Wednesday: 7 p.m. Joyce Morris will discuss and demonstrate from her book, “Reiki! Hands That Heal.” Signing to follow. Borders, 497-8159.

* Wednesday: 7 p.m. Middle and high school students are invited to a discussion of science fair requirements. Ventura Barnes & Noble, 339-9170.

* Wednesday: 8 p.m. Poetry workshop. Ventura Barnes & Noble, 339-9170.

* Friday: 7 p.m. Story time on “Babar the King.” Ventura Barnes & Noble, 339-9170.

Information about book signings, writers groups and publishing events can be emailed to anns40@aol.com or faxed to 647-5649.