Shakespeare

On April 15, seniors Shawn Keck and David Miller, along with junior Ellaina Bourgeois, perform ‘The Complete Works of

Willam Shakespeare Abridged’ for the intro to theater class. Photos by Marissa McMickle. SHAKESPEARE CMR drama tackles the Bard for spring 2021

by Marissa McMickle, staff writer William Shakespeare has been dead for more than 400 years, but judging by the drama department’s offergins this spring, interest in “The Bard” has never been higher. Shakespeare wrote at least 38 plays -- ranging from romance to tragedy -- and more than 150 short and long poems. One of his greatest tragedies, “Macbeth,” was performed April 24 on Facebook Live by the drama department at C. M. Russell High School. “This is in a format called staged reading. It’s also going to be online, on Facebook Live. But staged reading is where actors act with the books. There is very little setting, very little ribbons and bows around the package -- it’s the actors showcasing their talent,” drama teacher Chris Evans said. “This is all about Shakespeare’s words and how we present them. We have probably the coolest play to do that with, and that’s Macbeth.” Evans said he wanted to do a Shakespeare play because he wanted to challenge the seniors and give them one last excellent performance before sending them off. “This has been a tough year. We’ve done three online shows this year, and it’s been kind of light and airy and fun. I wanted to, just for my entertainment and theirs, put some meat on the bone.”

Q&A

with Shawn Keck

How long have you been in drama? “I started second semester of my freshman year, so by the end three and a half years.”

What is your favorite part of drama? “The connections with people I made and the realization that it can be a career.”

What is your best memory? “My best memory was junior year when the cast list for our first show ‘South Pacific the Musical’ went up -- and I was cast as one of lead suppporting roles -- and the enjoyment of trying to get through the crowd at the cast list.”

What was your favorite play you’ve done? “I think my favorite is the one we are doing now, Abridged. It’s a whole different experience, getting to basically make the rules. Not a strict thing you have to stick to, it’s a lot of improve and what we want to do.”

What has been the hardest play you’ve been in? “I think the hardest one was last years ‘Trap’ which we didn’t actually get to put on, but we got through a hefty bit of the rehearsal process before it got cancelled. It’s a very ensemble-focused show so everyone matters and if someone’s not there the whole show falls apart, so it’s learning to be reliable and learning to be there even if you don’t want to be.”

What inspired you to want to do Abridged? “Last year we were building a shelf [for costumes] and I saw a box that had a bunch of props from the show the last time they did it -- we’ve watched it in class -- and thought that it would be fun to do. I’d say the second semester of junior year I kept pestering Mr. Evans, at some point I think I was the straw that broke the camel’s back so to speak, and I kind of wiggled him into it.”