The Christendom Players brought audiences into a whole new world with their three performances of An Evening of Shakespeare. Held on the college’s St. Lawrence Commons’ stage on November 15, 16, and 17, the student actors tied together multiple works of Shakespeare, filing the stage with both tragedy and hilarity, making for one of the finest Christendom Players productions yet.
Rather than putting on just one work of Shakespeare, seniors Nicole Feldman and Vincent Smith worked closely with alumna director Liz Foeckler to craft the perfect blend of tragical and comedic scenes. Everything from A Midsummer Night’s Dream to Macbeth were found on stage, strung together with commentary from the mischievous Puck.
“Creative ideas for the construction of the show and the plot flowed almost seamlessly from person to person as we pieced together our play,” said Foeckler. “Truly, from the writing, to the casting, to the chance encounters I had while hanging up posters, I have never been part of a project that has taken on such a life of its own.”
The excitement of the playwrights was certainly shared among the actors and the audience. Having the play on campus made it much more convenient for student actors, and the scene-by-scene construction allowed each actor a chance to shine.
“As an actor, the opportunity to perform both tragedy and comedy was just amazing,” said Smith, who gave a powerful performance as Macbeth, as well as playing two more lighthearted roles.
This combination also kept audiences coming back night after night. Favorite scenes included a humorous rendition of Romeo and Juliet’s tower scene, the blood-curdling scene of Macbeth’s murder of Duncan, and a rendition of A Midsummer Night’s Dream that had the whole audience laughing.
The success of An Evening of Shakespeare made all the hard work of the directors, compliers, actors, and stage crew worth the many hours of dedication.
“To me, this show is truly an ode to creativity, ingenuity, and love of theater, concluded Foeckler.”
The Christendom Players truly outdid themselves in An Evening of Shakespeare, and the Christendom community cannot wait to see the Players’ creativity and skill grace the stage again this coming spring.
Special to Christendom College by contributing author Riley Damitz ’20.