ACTOR TAKES ON ROLE OF LEGENDARY POET : ONE-MAN PLAY ABOUT BARD'S LIFE COMING TO PALMDALE PLAYHOUSE.

Byline: Bhavna Mistry Daily News Staff Writer

As a high school senior, Gregory Bell participated in a Shakespearean play, never realizing he'd one day bring the bard to life.

Now, after spending years researching the life of the poet, father and husband, Bell stars in a one-man play he wrote about the world's most famous playwright.

``With each performance the audience gets a much better appreciation of Shakespeare as a human being,'' said Bell, 49, of Mar Vista, who will be producing the play this weekend in Palmdale.

``Alms for Oblivion'' will be presented at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Palmdale Playhouse, 38334 10th St. E. Admission is $12; $10 for military, youths and seniors. For reservations, call [phone].

The Madrigal Singers will perform Elizabethan songs before and during the performance, and artifacts of the period will be on display in the lobby.

In his two-hour production, Bell brings Shakespeare to life into the 20th century.

``He's come to set the record straight,'' said Bell, who plays the bard with a touch of an attitude. ``We don't have to go to him - he comes to us.''

Once Shakespeare states his peace - asserting claim to the authorship of his own work, recognized as the greatest pieces of theatrical literature ever written - the bard takes playgoers back in time and recalls his life.

``It's a thrill,'' Bell said. ``It's a tremendous challenge and terribly exhausting. In the end there's satisfaction that I've been able to educate.''

Bell got his start playing the Shakespearean role while working as a host at a Northern California restaurant. A co-worker told Bell he resembled the playwright because of his receding hairline and that he should consider playing the character while greeting patrons.

After given the challenge, Bell began researching Shakespeare's life and reading everything he could find about the man.

``If I was going to do something I wanted to do it right,'' Bell said. ``It was a great deal of work.''

Bell first performed the play in July 1991 at the Venice Sculpture Gardens. Since then he has performed at The Crystal in Santa Monica, the Itchey Foote Cabaret and at the Burbage Theatre, where the play was the recipient of two drama awards.

He also has performed at the Shakespeare Orange County and the Edinburg Fringe festivals.

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Photo: Gregory Bell brings Shakespeare to life in his one-man play, ``Alms for Oblivion.'' Bell, 49, will perform Sunday in Palmdale.