Melanie Sabol – Copy Editor
Let’s take a trip back in time to the 1930’s for Southern Connecticut State University’s theater department and the Crescent Players fall play, “Shakespeare in Hollywood.” Taking place in Los Angeles, Cali., on the Warner Brothers Studio, “Shakespeare in Hollywood,” offers the audience a fun and entertaining night.
“Shakespeare in Hollywood” was written by Ken Ludwig and directed by Sheila Hickey Garvey, who picked this fall’s play. “Shakespeare in Hollywood” is a three-act play with a running time of roughly two hours and twenty minutes. “Shakespeare in Hollywood” kept the entire audience engaged not only with the funny and witty comments from the actors but also with the actors walking around the aisles during the performance.
Opening night’s performance was amazing. The entire cast pulled together so well. Jake Chambless, a student here at Southern Connecticut State University, also attended opening night. “I came not only to see ‘Shakespeare in Hollywood’ but to also support my friends that were in the play,” says Chambless. “I ran lines with them but seeing the performance live and seeing how they made the lines come together was better than I could have imagined.”
“I’ve spent a lot of time with this group of people before the show and watching them all come together on the stage to perform ‘Shakespeare in Hollywood’ was a great experience to watch,” says Chambless.
I enjoyed the dynamic duo of Teddy Hall, who played Oberon King of the Fairies, with his sidekick Puck, who was played by Cecilia Kurachi-Ubè. The two of them together were hysterical for they were the two characters in the play that had traveled through time and space into the future.
The set design was well done. Between the big backdrops, old movie posters, and special effects, they all provided a wonderful experience for not only the actors performing but also the audience. I personally enjoyed the stagehands Warner Brother jackets. It was a great way to keep the setting of the Warner Brothers Studio in mind between scenes.
Georgia Russell, assistant stage manager for “Shakespeare in Hollywood,” is a senior at Southern Connecticut State University. “Rehearsals for ‘Shakespeare in Hollywood’ started the first week of September,” says Russell. “We had great rehearsals and the cast really came together well.”
“It was a lot of fun exploring Shakespeare while we planned for the play,” Russell goes on to say. “Also, it was a great experience working with people of all different age groups while preparing for ‘Shakespeare in Hollywood.’”
President of The Crescent Players, makeup designer as well as a student here at Southern Connecticut State University, Katherine “K Sed” Sedlock, also enjoyed working on ‘Shakespeare in Hollywood.’ “For this play, I ran costumes, did makeup, and set up dressing rooms,” says Sedlock. “Also, I made and pressed costumes as well as did wardrobe changes between scenes.
Don’t worry – you still have plenty of time to get down and see “Shakespeare in Hollywood.” The run dates are Oct. 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19 at 8 p.m. Then one Sunday show left on Oct. 20 at 2 p.m. All shows take place in the John Lyman Center for the Performing Arts. I recommend that you head out and see such a great show put on by Southern’s Theater Department and The Crescent Players. Ticket prices are $5 for SCSU faculty, staff, alumni, and students, $10 for the general public. Seating is general admission.
Upcoming productions to look forward to are “Urinetown: The Musical” and “Circle Mirror Transformation” both being performed Spring 2014.
