Shakespeare's Characters Come to Life on Colby-Sawyer College Stage
Colby-Sawyer College's Fine and Performing Arts Department will present the comedy “Shakespeare in Hollywood” on Thursday, November 7 at 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 8 at 8 p.m., and Saturday, Nov. 9 at 2 and 8 p.m. at the Sawyer Center Theatre at the Sawyer Fine and Performing Arts Center. Seating is limited to 100 onstage seats and reserved tickets are available through the campus mail room at the Ware Student Center or online at http://www.colby-sawyer.edu/tickets. Tickets are $10 for the general public and free with a Colby-Sawyer College ID.
“Shakespeare in Hollywood,” written by Ken Ludwig, explores the filming of the 1935 Warner Brothers' film of “A Midsummer Night's Dream.” When the “real” Oberon and Puck show up, the set is thrown into chaos as Shakespeare's characters interact with Hollywood actors Jimmy Cagney, Dick Powell and Olivia deHavilland. Directed by Assistant Professor of Theatre Suzanne Delle, who joined the Colby-Sawyer faculty this fall, the cast is composed of 19 student and alumni actors, including Aaron Hodge '14 as Oberon, Katelynn Yvon '15 as Puck, Lindsay St. Louis '14 as Olivia and Shelby Lynn Thomas '17 as Lydia Lansing.
Having seen the world premiere production at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., Professor Delle chose to bring 1930s Hollywood to Colby-Sawyer College for her first production because of the production's ability to educate through humor. “I thought it would be fun to explore Shakespeare, specifically 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and 1930s Hollywood with the students at Colby-Sawyer,” said Delle. “The students have jumped right in, committing to accents, iambic pentameter, and the physical comedy of the show.”
Playwright Ken Ludwig is perhaps best known for his comedy “Lend Me A Tenor” with “Shakespeare in Hollywood” written in the same zany, comedic vein. Commenting on the play in 2005, Ludwig wrote, “An academic at heart, I loved the research; to me, Hollywood in the 1930s is the bee's knees and as a Shakespeare addict to end all addicts, I loved living for a few months with Oberon and Puck.” The Wall Street Journal proclaimed, "Shakespeare in Hollywood” will charm your socks off.”
For more information, contact Assistant Professor Suzanne Delle at (603) 526-3664 or suzanne.delle@colby-sawyer.edu.
–Anurup Upadhyay '15
Anurup Upadhyay is a Business major at Colby-Sawyer College and a student writer for College Communications.
Colby-Sawyer College is a comprehensive college that integrates the liberal arts and sciences with professional preparation. Founded in 1837, Colby-Sawyer is located in the scenic Lake Sunapee Region of central New Hampshire.
Colby-Sawyer College, 541 Main Street, New London, N.H. 03257 (603) 526-3000
