I Hate Shakespeare! by Mara Rosenbloom

Bernotas Middle School Drama Richard F. Bernotas Middle School Crystal Lake, IL

Richard F. Bernotas Middle School Bernotas Middle School Drama PRESENTS

I HATE SHAKESPEARE! by Steph DeFerie Act 1: Shakespeare Who? Act 2: Ok, Not That Bad! Act 1 will be followed by a 15-minute intermission

Directed by: Mrs. Mara Rosenbloom Tech Director: Ms. Catherine Plunkett

I HATE SHAKESPEARE! Act 1 Pretentious $#!&

Hamlet, UPA 1, UPA 2, Cheerleader

Hamlet?

Hamlet, UPA 1, UPA 2, Queen Gertrude, Claudius, Ghost, Ophelia, Polonius, Laertes, Cheerleader

Lost in Translation

Modern Juliet, Traditional Juliet

Richard the Thrid

EmCee, Richard, Zombies, Zombie Lady Anne

"History"

Narrator, British Literary Historian

The Jerry Springer Show

Jerry, Desdemona, Iago, Othello

Shakespeare in a Can

Announcer, Tillie, Sheila, Dottie

Seriously Funny

Elsie, Director

Act 2 Timon & Pumbaa of Pride Rock

I'm Calling My Agent! Orange Julius Caesar Salad The Dating Game Not So Bad

EmCee, Timon, Zombies, UPA 1, UPA 2, Hamlet, Witch, Puppet 1, Puppet 2, Banquo, MacBeth, Lady MacBeth, Duncan, Murderer, MacDuff, Fleance, Spirit Miss Purdie, Burbage, Billie Shakespeare EmCee, Antony, Zombies Jim Lange, Romeo, Paris, Bobbie, Juliet, UPA 1, UPA 2, Hamlet Hamlet, Puck, UPA 1, UPA 2

CAST (IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE) Cast Members Hamlet (Act #1)

Dylan Eckhardt

Unhappy Person in Audience #1

Alyssa Johnston

Unhappy Person in Audience #2

Allie DeSando

Cheerleader

Lauren Gassman

Queen Gertrude

Melanie Wolf

Claudius, Iago

Kaitlyn Kaiser

Ghost

Brinley Wright

Ophelia

Annabella Getty

Laertes, MacBeth

Luca Cangelosi

Traditional Juliet

Arin Rosa

Modern Juliet, Jim Lange

Story Thiegs

Richard III

David Denlinger

Narrator, Paris

Cadence Diaz

British Literary Historian, Witch

Molly Sromek

Othello, Banquo

Cooper Macro

Jerry Springer

Justin Rodriguez

Desdemona, Bobbie

Margo Santerelli

TV Host, Juliet Sheila

Liz Chamberlin Maddy Januszkiewicz

Tillie

Kylie Gibbons

Dottie

Addison Smith

Director

Allison Barnett

Elsie

Caroline Lucas

Hamlet (Act #2)

William Barnett

Timon, Puck

Sketch Baade

Puppet #1

Samantha Secrest

Puppet #2

Rex Woodin

Messenger

Summer Johnston

Lady MacBeth

Adaline Albright

CAST (IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE) Cast Members (continued) Zombie Lady Anne, Duncan Fleance, Antony

Jaden Schroeder Brianna Buelow

Spirit

Ponle Bolarin

MacDuff

Maxwell Weter

Burbage

Josie Baker

Billie Shakespeare

Sydney Fox

Romeo

Yoni Bueno

EmCee, Miss Purdie

Harper Wright

CREW Crew Members Stage Manager

Penny Feign

Makeup

Emery Merz

Stage Crew

David Denlinger

Stage Crew

Meghan Gau

Stage Crew

Will Gau

Stage Crew

Lola Gregory

Stage Crew

Riya Gupte

Stage Crew

Faith Hui

Stage Crew

Ava King

Stage Crew

Allen Liu

Stage Crew

Tyler Martinez

Stage Crew

Nick Zuehlke

MEET THE CAST Adaline Albright

as Lady MacBeth

Adaline is in sixth grade and is 11 years old. Outside of school she loves to play with friends, go on her phone and play basketball,sing and dance. In school adaline loves writing, art and Spanish was really fun for her to learn! Adaline is a little new to acting, but she did a theater camp in the summer and got to sing, say some lines and dance. She is very open hearted, loud, funny and happy. This Adaline”s first production at Bernotas she has done and can”t wait! She is performing as Lady Macbeth in Act 2. She is so very grateful for all her teachers and especially Mrs. Rosenbloom who she appreciates so very much! Well she hopes you enjoy the play!

Sketch Baade

as Timon, Puck

Sketch Baade is a kind and intelligent person. They like to draw and listen to podcasts. Sketch has been in 2 previous plays when they were 9 and 10. Although Sketch hasnt been in a play in 3 years, they are very excited to be in a play again and they hope you enjoy the show!

Josie Baker

as Burbage

Josie is so excited to be in the production this year! She has been in past shows of Madagascar Jr., The Jungle Book, Moana Jr, and last year's show of Scenes from a Quarantine. Josie enjoys playing basketball, volleyball, and Track and Field. Josie would like to thank Mrs. Rosenbloom for being such a great and supportive director. She would also like to thank her wonderful castmates and crew for all their hard work and dedication. She hopes everyone enjoys the show!

MEET THE CAST Allison Barnett

as Director

Allie is very excited because this is her first official show ever! She loves to do little plays with her friends that they come up with on the go. But she has never done a real show with real lines. She did a theater camp at Central High School but was a part of stage crew and wasn’t in the play. But when Allie heard about the school play she knew she had to audition for it. Allie auditioned with her friend Caroline and they got a part together. Allie got the director and Caroline got the cow which interacts with each other.

William Barnett

as Hamlet (Act #2)

It’s your Friend William Barnett. He’s a person who was on stage crew in the central plays in 2021. He will be playing Hamlet in act 2 of the play. He’s very smart and funny, and is in 7th grade in the redbirds team. So yeah that's william.

Ponle Bolarin

as Spirit

Ponle is excited to be a part of her first play in middle school. She is an acting enthusiast and has participated in The SAGE Theater company as various characters over the years. She is a 6th grader, and thrilled to have the opportunity to perform in school. Ponle has done several activities over time including volleyball, swimming, soccer, piano, and dance to mention a few. She enjoys writing, reading, and hanging out with her friends.

Brianna Buelow

as Fleance, Antony

Brianna Buelow is super excited to be in the play this year! She loves the performing arts and many other things. Brianna is in 6th grade and her 2nd play and hopes to be in many more. Brianna also loves to play with her pet ferrets Oreo and Noel, hang out with friends, and play in the lake. She is always talking about how funny play practice is and saying her lines. She is very excited for you to see it and she hopes you enjoy it! :)

MEET THE CAST Yoni Bueno

as Romeo

Yoni is in 7th grade here at Bernotas. He likes to act and be in plays. He likes to be involved with lots of clubs which is the reason why he is active. He also likes running because it helps me calm down sometimes. Acting is something that he likes because its something that can be crazy or even funny.When he thinks of acting he thinks of how fun and sometimes how serious it could be which is why he likes it.

Luca Cangelosi

as Laertes, MacBeth

Luca Cangelosi is a music fanatic and is especially captivated by classical music and musicals. At the sight of a play, he jumped for the opportunity to join. Even though it isn’t a musical, Luca still enjoys performing in the arts. Luca plays as Mac… and Laertes and is very attached to the characters. Luca is in 6th grade and is 11 years old, and he says that he hopes you enjoy the show.

Liz Chamberlin

as TV Host, Juliet

Liz is a 7th grader at Bernotas Middle School and she is excited to be in the play this year! This is her second year doing the play and hopes to continue next year. In her free time, Liz likes to do gymnastics, go to the library, and hang out with her friends. She would like to thank her amazing family and friends for always being there to help her. Go Vikings!

MEET THE CAST Allie DeSando

as Unhappy Person in Audience #2

Allie has gotten the privilege of being a Snail in the musical Toad and Frog year 2016, a hyena in the musical the Lion King year 2017, Anita in 101 Dalmations year 2018, and a nun in the musical The Sound of Music year 2019, and was in the virtual show Scenes From a Quarantine in 2021. Now she is a part of I hate Shakespeare! Allie is a student in 8th grade at Richard Bernotas Middle School. Some of her hobbies include soccer, art, gaming, acting, and babysitting some pets. Allie enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Her dream job is to be a marine biologist. She enjoys swimming and being in the warm sun and ocean water with a breeze. Allie is extremely excited about this year’s performance! Allie would like to thank all her friends, family members, and teachers who have supported her throughout this tough year.

David Denlinger

as Richard III

David likes video games and sometimes doodling and sometimes reading. David got drawn into the world of drama because he wanted to get over his stage fright with a little bit of comedy. His sister did backstage crew and he wanted to be on stage and doodle set designs with backstage crew. David had to really “sit on it” before he was able to join. There were a lot of people in his ohana (which in his case meant chosen family) who did theater and he wanted to try out. This would be his first production ever. In the coming years he wants to join more clubs while still having time for homework. He has hopes that people will look at him weirdly. For example, David hopes not to be popular.

Dylan Eckhardt

as Hamlet (Act #1)

Dylan is playing Hamlet #1, And is excited because this is the first real play he's in. He originally signed up for the play 2 years ago, but that was then canceled. So he played the part of Romeo in the virtual play last year, but that was not the same as a normal play on stage. So far he has been having a great time, and having lots of fun at all The practices. It has been a bit difficult since he also has jazz band, but he has been able to make time and it has gotten his part down pretty well. All in all, he is very excited for this play, and hopes everything goes well.

MEET THE CAST Cadence Diaz

as Narrator, Paris

Hi I’m Cadence and I love acting. I think of acting as exploring different versions of myself. I have previously been The Genie - in Aladdin, Narrator - in A Christmas Carol and, of course, Paris & Narrator - in I Hate Shakespeare. Not only do I love to act, I love watching others really portray their characters. It’s been so fun being able to see the show come together and make so many friends along the way. I really enjoyed being a part of this play and I hope you enjoy it.

Sydney Fox

as Billie Shakespeare

Sydney Fox is thirteen years old. She is in seventh grade. In school she enjoys writing, reading, art, and math. Outside of school Sydney likes to rock climb, hang out with friends, and be outside. She has one dog named Stanley. He is seven years old and is an English Bulldog. Sydney is an only child. For rock climbing she is on a team and she climbs at North Wall. Sydney has been climbing for about three to four years now and really loves it. For this play she will be acting as Billie.

Lauren Gassman

as Cheerleader

Lauren is a sixth grade student in Bernotas Middle school, and is thrilled to be a part of I Hate Shakespeare, Bernotas’s 2022 production. Her biggest roles have been Bruno from Encanto in 2022, and Alice from Alice in Wonderland in 2020. She enjoys acting, singing, archery, gymnastics, and anything outdoorsy in general! Her dream is to be a writer and actress, and she would like to thank the multitude of wonderful people who put this production together. She says that theater is a place where everyone can really be themselves, and that it’s really amazing to see everyone working together in rehearsals and putting the whole show together. She would like to thank her friends, family, and teachers who have supported her through so much. She cannot be more grateful for them.

MEET THE CAST Annabella Getty

as Ophelia

Annabella loves theatre and is passionate about dance. She has been dancing since she was 18 months old! She takes piano, voice, and clarinet lessons at Encore and likes to play outside. Annabella has been in many Sage musicals and plays, along with the Central High School theatre summer camp production of “Seussical the Musical.” Annabella is a 7th-grade student here at Bernotas Middle School who likes tech, crafts, and nature. She enjoys listening to music while drawing at home or doing one of her countless crafts. She is a current cadette member of Girl Scouts and has completed training to become a P.A. (Program Aide). Annabella has many coding robots and is a former gymnast. Overall, Annabella is a remarkable girl who will help people in need, will always be resourceful, and stand up for what’s right for nature and humanity.

Kylie Gibbons

as Tillie

This is Kylie’s first ever play in both Middle school and in general. She’s also wanted to do acting and this is the year they finally decided to do it. Kylie enjoys going to the rehearsals since something is always going on. This has allowed her to step out of her comfort-zone and try something new. She hopes to be in the play next year as well.

Alyssa Johnston

as Unhappy Person in Audience #1

Aly J is super excited to be in the Bernotas production of I Hate Shakespeare. In the past Aly has been in last year's school production Scenes From a Quarantine. She has also been in many other productions such as Kéanu’s Moon in 2016, Peter Pan in 2017 and The Little Mermaid in 2019. Aly is now in 8th grade and has been acting since she was 6 years old. She would love to thank Mrs. Rosenbloom and Mrs. Plunkett for making this year's production the best. She’s also very thankful for her loving parents' for their love and support to help her get to this point in her acting career. She also wants to thank her friends for their support as well. Aly hopes you enjoy the show and the effort put into it. Lastly, she wants you to know that Shakespere may not be as bad as you think he is. Maybe……

MEET THE CAST Maddy Januszkiewicz

as Sheila

Madelyn (Maddy) Januszkiewicz is very excited to perform in Bernotas’s production I Hate Shakespear! Maddy has been in musicals such as The Lion King junior where she played Zazu. She also had a part in Seussical the Musical as a bird girl. She plays Sheila in I Hate Shakespear and would like to thank her parents for their support and Mrs. Rosenbloom for persevering to make this wonderful production possible!

Summer Johnston

as Messenger

Summer is in 6th grade and goes to Bernotas middle school. She likes to do many activities such as play video games, act, draw, and read. She is an only child and has 2 dogs, 3 birds, and 1 cat. She has many friends such as cast members Sketch and Bryn. This is her first play and she hopes it goes well.

Kaitlyn Kaiser

as Claudius, Iago

This is Kaitlyn Kaiser. She is 12 years old and has done the school playes for 2 years (including elementary) Her role in the play is Claudius\Polonius and Iago. Claudius\Polonius is a shady uncle who is not what he seems. Kaitlyn kaiser did her first play was “The Jungle Book”. she did her first play when she was 11. Kaitlyn likes doing plays because she loves seeing peoples face light up as they see the characters talking and acting on stage. Kaitlyn is always watching musicals and play when she isn't doing homework.

Caroline Lucas

as Elsie

Caroline Lucas is a 6th grader at Bernotas middle school and is super excited to be in this year's production I hate shakespeare. Caroline is very into soccer She plays for the club Inferno. And loves playing outside and hanging out with friends. Caroline loves to play with her dog George and take him for long walks. She would like to give a big thank you out to Mrs.Rosenbloom and Mrs. Plunkett for making the play happen and making the show a great experience for all. Enjoy the show!!

MEET THE CAST Cooper Macro

as Othello, Banquo

Cooper is a 6th-grade student at Bernotas Middle School. He is apart of the Bernotas's 6th grade cadet band in school and is a member of the state Science Olympiad team at Bernotas and a member of the Bernotas student council. He is excited for his first performance on stage. In this year’s rbms play of I Hate Shakespeare Cooper takes on the roles of Othello in act 1 and Banquo in Act 2. He wants to say thank you to his play director Mrs. Rosenbloom for all her hard work with helping them become better actors and people. He also wants to say thank you to his friends and family for being supportive and helpful this year’s play experience.

Justin Rodriguez

as Jerry Springer

Justin is in 7th grade at Bernotas, and is excited for his first performing role! Playing Jerry Springer has been fun, and he hopes you enjoy the play!

Arin Rosa

as Traditional Juliet

Arin Rosa is ecstatic to be in the school production this year! This is her first ever play she’s been in and she’s so excited she was casted. Arin enjoys listening to music, reading, and playing with her dogs, Romeo and Rocky.. Arin would like to thank Mrs. Rosenbloom and her cast mates for making rehearsal so fun and entertaining. She would also like to thank her family and friends for being her #1 supporters. Enjoy the show!

Margo Santerelli

as Desdemona, Bobbie

This is the first play Margo had been in the cast for, she did stage crew in fifth grade and that's all. She is very excited to be on stage for the first time as an actor and is looking forward to opening night.

MEET THE CAST Jaden Schroeder

as Zombie Lady Anne, Duncan

Jaden is excited to be in her first stage production! She is in sixth grade and looking forward to working on more productions while at Bernotas. Jaden has a love of animals and enjoys horseback riding. She is thankful for Mrs. Rosenbloom’s direction, Mrs. Plunketts artistic eye, as well as the cast and crew that have helped to make this a great show! However, Jaden still doesn’t understand why she had to come to all those rehearsals.

Molly Sromek

as British Literary Historian, Witch

Molly is super excited to be in this year’s Bernotas production! She is in 7th grade, and loves being in all things acting. She has been in multiple other productions and camps, including her elementary school’s 5th grade show and last year’s Bernotas show. While not rehearsing, Molly plays softball, and is in choir. She loves art, being outside, and hanging out with friends. She would like to thank Mrs. Rosenbloom and Mrs. Plunkett for making this year’s play a great experience. She hopes you enjoy it!

Addison Smith

as Dottie

Addi is thrilled to be in this year's play. Ever since she was little she loved to act. She would always put on shows for her family and friends. She has been in a few productions before. Some of them were Marry Poppins, Alice and Wonderland, Pirates of the Caribbean, and is currently working on Encanto( besides I Hate Shakespeare of course) Besides from acting, she loves to watch movies and get some tips from the actors. One of her dreams is to be casted as a lead role in a movie. When she found out that there was a play this year she didn’t care what role she got, she was just excited to be a part of this opportunity.

MEET THE CAST Story Thiegs

as Modern Juliet, Jim Lange

Story is a 7th grader at Bernotas this year and is super excited to be on stage performing! Last year, Story was in the virtual show at Bernotas, Scenes From A Quarantine. Story has also recently starred in White Christmas The Musical at the Cutting Hall Performing Arts Center, and has been in many other shows including theater camps at Central High School, and Matilda The Musical at the Woodstock Opera house. Story enjoys singing, dancing, playing with her pug, Basil, and hanging out with friends. Story would like to thank Mrs. Rosenbloom, along with the outstanding cast and crew for making this such a fun experience. She hopes you enjoy the show!

Maxwell Weter

as MacDuff

Max is excited to be a part in this play. He is a 7th grader on the Hawkeye team. He thanks his parents for being supportive and happy for him through this journey. He also thanks his friend for trying to be there on his audition even though he forgot to go. And he thanks his other friends for deciding to be stage crew but were too lazy so they didn't

Melanie Wolf

as Queen Gertrude

My name is Melanie and I am in 6th grade. I am excited to play Gertrude in the RBMS’s production of I Hate shakespeare. I have been in two plays. Aladdin and High School Musical Jr. I also play soccer and like drawing. I would like to thank my family for their love and support. I hope you enjoy the show.

Rex Woodin

as Puppet #2

Hello! I am Rex, I am in 7th grade at Bernotas Middle School. This is my first play at Bernotas. I would like to thank my Dad, Mom, Uriah and Noomi, my service dog. I am outgoing and love to make people laugh. Rex’s dream job is to be a police officer. He enjoys watching tv, playing on his phone and playing with his service dog. Rex would like to thank Mrs. Rosenbloom, Mrs. Plunkett, Mrs. Fitz and Ms. Lorence for being so supportive in helping him be a part of the play this year!

MEET THE CAST Brinley Wright

as Ghost

This is Brinley’s first play and she is very excited to be a part of it by playing the ghost. Brinley had a lot of fun hanging out with her friends, as well as making new ones, during practice. Outside of school, she really loves musicals and likes to listen to music a lot. She also really likes to read and play video games. This is her last year at Bernotas and she is very happy she got the chance to be a part of this amazing show. She would like to thank Mrs. Rosenbloom, Ms. Plunkett, and all her wonderful fellow cast members for such a fun time. Brinley would also like to say thank you to her parents and sister for their support. Brinley hopes you all enjoy the show and have a great time.

Harper Wright

as EmCee, Miss Purdie

Harper is very excited to be part of the school play this year! This is Harper’s first time performing in a play, but she hopes to continue next year! Harper would like to thank Mrs.Rosenbloom, Mrs.Plunkett, and her castmates for helping create an amazing show this year! When Harper is off stage, she enjoys playing softball and hanging out with her teammates, playing with her 2 dogs, spending time with her family, and doing art. She would like to thank her family for being so supportive of her and her sister Brinley. She hopes everyone has a good laugh and enjoys the show!

Samantha Secrest

as Puppet #1

Sammie is super excited to be in her first Bernotas production! She is in 7th grade and loves to be on stage performing. Outside of school, Sammie is active in ballet, soccer and horseback riding. She is very thankful for all the love and support from her mom, dad, and two younger sisters. Sammie would like to give a huge shoutout to Mrs Rosenbloom, Mrs Fitzsimmons, and Ms Lorence for believing in her and supporting her through her theatre journey.

MEET THE CAST Mrs. Mara Rosenbloom Mrs. Rosenbloom is honored to be a part of such a phenomenal production, and is thankful for such a dedicated and motivated cast of talented actors. In the past, she has been part of productions from elementary school on, including directing Bernotas productions from 2015 on. Mrs. Rosenbloom is one of the Spanish teachers here at Bernotas, as well as a consummate nerd, tech geek, craft-lover, wife, mom to a "small human" and fur-parent. She would like to thank Ms. Plunkett for being such a patient and wonderful partner for this year’s play, her husband Adam, and daughter Kira for their support, and the amazing cast and crew!

Ms. Catherine Plunkett Catherine Plunkett is the art teacher at Bernotas. She lives in Crystal Lake and loves working with students. She has lost track of the number of plays she's done!

DIRECTOR'S NOTES Picture itit: it's 1995, a young Mrs. Rosenbloom was sitting in her freshman honor's English class, in an outfit oddly similar to what students are wearing now, with a copy of Romeo & Juliet on her desk, beyond excited (yes, I've always been this nerdy) to start reading this classic. My mom had been in Shakespeare plays when she was younger, and there was this "new take" on the classic story coming to the big screen starring personal favorites Clare Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio. And then I opened the book. I was a good reader; great, even. I'd been reading since I was about 4 years old. I had no idea what the text was talking about. None. I saw the words. I knew the words meant something. What the heck was a Mercutio? "Wherefore" did not mean where, but rather why? WHAT?! As time went on, I slowly learned to decipher what the words meant, learned how to read and write in Iambic pentameter, how to write a sonnet with a rhyming couplet... I'll stop with the traumatizing high school flashback now. When I came across the script for I Hate Shakespeare, I was immediately intrigued. It was a play within a play, with just enough authentic Shakespeare to be a challenge, but also enough modern storytelling to keep it interesting. These amazing actors not only rose to the challenge, but went above and beyond to create this mixed-up Shakespearean/Modern/Theater/Real World to perform. Since things are a lot more "normal" than they were for our performance last year (Scenes From A Quarantine, anyone?) we were all thrilled to get back on stage and perform for a real, live, in person audience. These incredible actors rose to the challenge of learning a new way of speaking, being zombies, wearing period costumes, embracing cheesy talk shows, and SO many more things. I couldn't be any prouder of them! We hope you love the show, and that none of you are unhappy people in the audience. We also truly hope that you leave here no longer in the I Hate Shakespeare camp!

PHOTOS

Most of the cast, on an unseasonably cool day

PHOTOS

Death in rehearsal

Day 1 on stage

PHOTOS

We don't always ask what's going on...

Rehearsal swords = yard sticks

The devious couple.

Looking shifty...

PHOTOS

Jerry... Jerry ... Jerry...

Ah, the true personalities emerge...

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This year's production was a combined effort of dozens of students, staff, parents, and community members. This production took an insane amount of learning, practicing, and essentially learning to speak a new language! A very special thanks goes to: • • • • • • • • • • •

The RBMS Administration, Faculty, Staff, and Students RBMS Drama Alumni for their help and support Mr. Bransley for stepping in and assisting with our set design Miss Lorence for being the most helpful rehearsal assistant EVER. Tamar Lasko from Cookie Nerd Designs for the beautiful cookie fundraiser "Bake Sale". The parents, for your endless support, cooperation, rides, snacks, and tolerance of line repetition V2 Productions for light and sound C & P Custom Printing for our FABULOUS merch Alex Ross for our awesome cover artwork RBMS P.E. department for loaning us your space for our rehearsals and production RBMS custodial staff for your patience and cooperation