10th annual 'Shakespeared!' Youth Theater Workshop performance Friday

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

For its 10th annual performance, "Shakespeared!" Youth Theater Workshop will present "The Taming of the Shrew" on Friday, June 23 at 7 p.m. in the Hazel Day Longden Theatre of the Putnam County Playhouse.

In a Wild West version of "Taming of the Shrew," Kate (played by Susanna Howard, left) puts an arm lock on Hortensio (Craig Robinson) in a scene from the high school portion of the Putnam County Playhouse "Shakespeared!" Youth Theater Workshop. The production, the culmination of a two-week workshop, will unfold at 7 p.m. Friday in the Hazel Day Longden Theatre on Round Barn Road. Banner Graphic/ERIC BERNSEE

Tickets are $3 for teens/adults (12 and under are free) and will be available at the door. This year's workshop is sponsored by Shuee Furniture & Mattress and a grant from Arts Illiana.

Middle schoolers, directed by Tim Good with Eleanor Howard and Beth Bax assisting, will perform their traditionally hilarious version first, followed by the high school group's Wild West version, directed by Caroline Good with Eleanor Howard assisting.

Christopher Douglas and Deja West are serving as this year's DePauw interns. Both versions were condensed and adapted by Caroline Good from William Shakespeare's comedy.

The annual two-week "Shakespeared!" Theatre Workshop began in 2007 with the first production of "Romeo & Juliet." Centered around one Shakespearean play, each age group presents two entirely different versions. This offers the young artists a chance to see the play from different perspectives and in different styles. The middle school group plays the more traditional rendering of the text, while the high school group, regardless of comedy or tragedy, plays a comedic version. Next season, they will be revisiting "Romeo & Juliet," in both tragedy and comedy.

The mission for the "Shakespeared!" Youth Theater Workshops is threefold: 1) Bringing to young people a love of Shakespeare's beautiful and stirring language in a fun and engaging way, 2) providing for them a venue to explore their own creativity and talents, and 3) encouraging them to express themselves while connecting to a brilliant mind that lived 400 years ago.

This year's middle school cast for "The Taming of the Shrew" is: Katherine (Isabella Brown), Petruchio (Rudy Hagen), Bianca (Bella Green), Lucentio (Leo Brown), Tranio (Rebecca Hebb), Baptista (Noah Barnes), Hortensio (Alice Howard), Gremio (Collin Short), Grumia (Dale Dye Thomas), Biondello (Ella Dye Thomas), Curtis (Bijou Champagne), Vincentia (Aleyce Green), Narrator/Lady Merchant (Evangeline Brown), Tailor (Brenigan Warren), Millineress (Gwyneth Stevens), Widow (Samantha Funk), Bianca's Servant (Lillian Miller), Officer (Mya Weddle), Priest (Henry Cox), and portraying Petruchio's Servants (Henry Cox, Clay Glessner, Evan Lazar, Logan Warren, Wylan Heller).

This year's high school cast for "Taming of the Shrew in the Wild West": Kate (Susanna Howard), Petruchio (Addison Hughes), Bianca (Haley Wilson), Lucentio (Chloe Bodnarick), Tranio (Noah Pettit), Baptista (Devin Huff), Hortensio (Craig Robinson), Gremio (Grant Pettit), Grumio (Michael Thede), Biondello (Isabelle Cafouras), Curtis/Preacher (Samuel Gray), Vincentia (Laney Collier), Lady Merchant (Kaylie Gambill), Tailor/Bartender (Kaylin Cook), Millineress/Schoolmarm (Lily Monnett), Sheriff (Logan Warren), Deputy (Charlie Good), Saloon Girl (Fiona Good), and Kate's Outlaw Gals (Kaylie Gambill and Jasmine Weddle), and Card Player (Sal Martoglio).

In a scene from the middle school version of "Taming of the Shrew," Gremio (Grant Pettit, third from left) photo bombs a moment shared by Lucentio (played by Leo Brown), Bianca (Bella Green) and Hortensio (Alice Howard). The comic rendition of the Shakespeare classic is the culmination of the two-week Putnam County Playhouse "Shakespeared!" Youth Theater Workshop. The production is set for 7 p.m. Friday in the Hazel Day Longden Theatre on Round Barn Road. Banner Graphic/ERIC BERNSEE

The production team is: Lauren Good as costume coordinator for both groups; Jon Good as lighting technician and set construction; Linda Gjesvold as set painting. Lighting operators are Stephen Dumbrowski and Christopher Douglas; sound operators are Fiona Good and Darvell Barger; and set coordinators are Noah and Grant Pettit.

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