All of Shakespeare in 90 minutes

Posted on: Nov 2, 2018

Cramming every Shakespeare play into a single comedic mashup requires ruthless editing, a huge cast and a whole lot of creativity.

That’s exactly what audiences will find when more than 50 Delano High School students present “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare [Abridged]” at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 15-17, and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 18. Click here for tickets.

“It’s unlike any show Delano has ever seen before,” said DHS senior Kelli Carroll, who along with seven other “puppet masters” aims to herd the unruly bunch of characters and disparate stories into a somewhat cohesive whole.

“You see us trying to fit all of Shakespeare into 90 minutes,” said Mary Ludwig, also a senior puppet master. “We do very interesting and abstract interpretations.”

That’s a tidy way of saying that audiences of all ages can expect anything and everything in the Performing Arts Center’s first theatrical production. “Othello” is a rapper, and “King Lear” becomes a football game. A confused chorus group stumbles into “Hamlet,” where no chorus exists, and a portion of that play is performed backwards.

“There is a lot of improvisation that happens, kids making up their own parts. It’s just really fun,” said DHS Language Arts teacher Joe Lawrence, who is directing his first fall play at DHS but has a lifetime of professional acting and theater work behind him in New York and other locations. “The show is really funny and fast moving. I reworked the script quite a bit to fit a high school and wider community audience, so it works on different levels. It can appeal to audiences young and old.”

Lawrence said the production benefits students by exposing them to Shakespeare’s work – however truncated and humorously modified – and by giving them an opportunity to portray and interact with a wide variety of characters.

“I chose this show because it is educational and informative, in addition to being hilarious,” said Lawrence.

Between modifications, actors do employ excerpts of the original language, and they have absorbed some of the themes by necessity.

“As an actor you have to know what their underlying meaning is. So we’re learning about the plays that way,” said Ludwig.

The new Performing Arts Center adds another level of anticipation for this year’s play.

“I’m terrified and excited at the same time,” said Carroll. “The new auditorium is huge.”

Ludwig agreed.

“I’m so excited for the new dressing rooms and everything else,” she said.

While there are some nerves about performing in a larger venue, the lighthearted nature of the production is helping the actors to thoroughly enjoy the preparation process.

“It is set up in a way where it’s very improvisational in nature, so it looks like they’re making it up as they go. And to an extent, these kids are,” said Lawrence. “They’re learning on the fly about all these characters and all these plays. So it’s been fun. They’re having a good time.”

* Watch for additional information about the production in the weeks leading up to the show.

Post Categories: High School