Theater Club Plans Shakespeare Festival

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Theater Club Plans Shakespeare Festival

Planning stage- (from left) Rhiannon Cabaniss and professor Julie Sparks plan for the Theater Club's Shakespeare Festival to be held April 27 at 6:30 p.m. in the Music Building's Harris Auditorium

Nancy Stephan
Staff Writer

   The University of Arkansas-Monticello Theater Club tentatively scheduled its annual Shakespeare Festival for April 27 at 6:30 p.m. in the Harris Auditorium of the Music Building.

   Performers will adapt a playette from Bernard Shaw's "A Dressing Room Secret." The scenario features Iago from Othello getting ready for a costume ball. A bust of Shakespeare present in the room gives the writer a chance to comment on several characters included in his plays. Lady Macbeth, played by Iago's wife, discusses her character with her husband as Shakespeare likens her character to his own wife and recognizes Iago as rather charming.

   Three student pieces tentatively being scheduled for the presentation include the following:

An adaptation from "Merchant of Venice" created by UAM nursing student Esther Granderson. This updated version takes place in the Middle East and the action occurs between an Arab and a Jew.
A prequel to the "Taming of the Shrew," created by English major Candace West, where the sister rivalry between Bianca and Kate as young girls projects Bianca as a sly bully and Kate as sweet and innocent. This adaptation may very well explain why Kate later resents Bianca as the two compete for their father's affections.
In the third piece, criminal justice major David Cherry recreates scenes from "A Mid-Summer Night's Dream" featuring the little Indian boy known as the "changling child." In this scenario the queen and king of the fairies fight over the boy, who is now grown up, and this causes constant friction in the house.

Senior Rhiannon Cabaniss performed in last year's festival.

   "It's wonderful that we got these original student pieces to perform. I think that's what will make this Festival one of a kind," she said.

   In addition to staged performances, the festival offers an open microphone for any student, faculty or staff member to read or act out a scene, sonnet or anything else related to Shakespeare.

   Assistant professor of English and festival director Julie Sparks said, "Last year we had lots of fun during the festival and we're hoping that this year proves to be even better!"

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