Curtain Call: Area high schools put on ambitious spring productions

POLSON — The play may be 420 years old, but audiences attending Polson High School’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream this week should have no problem getting into one of William Shakespeare’s most enduring and humorous tales of mixed up lovers, mischievous fairies and a stage-full of slapstick hijinks.

Any actor will tell you that performing one of the Bard of Avon’s productions certainly ratchets up the degree of difficulty concerning the language and complexity of each line, however, 21 Polson High School students were up to the thespian challenge.

“Some of the students we’ve had in the program since kindergarten came to us requesting a PHS show this year,” Port Polson Player and director Karen Lewing said. “We weren’t planning on a high school production but when the students put together a list of 21 interested company members, we set aside some time to provide this opportunity for them.”

Lewing chose this particular play to make sure everyone received a fun part. The show also provides history, humor, broad characters, plus the final product will bake down to a college-level achievement for the kids, she said.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream has an interwoven plot starting with a Greek woman, Hermia (played by Sharidan Russell), who doesn’t want to marry the suitor her father Egeus (Arif Mansor) has picked out for her, Demetrius (Riley Lemm). Hermia is in love with Lysander (Frank Pope) and the two plan to leave the Greek city of Athens to escape the wrath of not going through with her father’s wishes. Hermia tells Helena (Megan Pope), who was once engaged to Hermia’s suitor, about her plans to elope with Lysander. Hoping to win Demetrius back, Helena tells him about the two lovers’ plans and he sets off after them into the woods with Helena not far behind.

“There is a lot of running around, slapstick, broad and subtle humor,” Lewing said. “A popular comedic theme with Shakespeare was to mix-up suitors and the objects of their affections. He did that in several of his comedies.”

In the woods, they encounter fairies and a traveling troop of actors and the mixing of fates proceeds from there. This particular production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream will feature a 1960’s Woodstock theme to it.

“The values of that time period fit the 420-year-old play perfectly,” Lewing said. “For example, the gals portraying the fairies use Shakespeare’s lyrics to Marvin Gaye’s ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine.” It’s a perfect fit for the lullaby they sing to their Fairy Queen Titania.”

Lewing had the challenge of trying to adapt this tale for both the smart phone short attention span of modern audiences and high school students learning a style of English that was spoken four centuries ago.

“There is the preconceived notion the show is going to be long and boring,” Lewing said. “This ‘bare bones dialog production’ has been cut to the quick to satisfy our culture’s demand for fast pace, getting right to the humor, and making sure all the famous lines are left in tact.”

Students have also put in countless hours rehearsing and not just memorizing the lines, but understanding their meanings to better get their character across on stage.

“People think the language is going to be hard to comprehend. When the students understand the rhythms the speeches are written in, and learn correct word emphasis, the story end of things comes across clearly to the audience,” Lewing said. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream has well over a quarter of the show written in rhyme. It’s done for comic effect.”

Shakespeare can be a big bite to chew off even for the most experienced actor, but Polson High School students took particular care under Lewing’s direction in order to get the message of the characters across to audience members.

“It’s hard at first but once you start understanding the lines it gets better,” Erin McGinnis, who plays Titania, Queen of the Fairies, said. “It’s kind of tough to figure out what the scene is saying or when the sentence stops.”

With Shakespeare’s tendency for complex, beautifully written lines – after all, he’s considered the most accomplished writer in the English language – the actors couldn’t get by on stage by just saying the lines, since the Bard’s words have to be expressed and acted out for the audience.

“You really have to be on top of your game,” Krysta Seville, who plays the famous Puck, said. “Wait, that’s a sports term, you have to be on top of your stage. Shakespeare seems to take a lot more energy.”

James Larson, who plays Bottom, meets the unfortunate fate of being turned into a donkey by Puck.

“My guy is very arrogant and very self-centered,” Larson, who has to don a donkey head during the play, said. “The head is pretty hard to perform in.”

Bottom gets sucked into the mess after Puck’s love potion mistakenly has the Queen of the Fairies fall in love with his donkey-fied self.

“Titania is bossy and always gets what she wants,” McGinnis said. “She’s alluring.”

Having to deal with Titania is the King of the Fairies, Oberon, who is played by Eric Delay.

“He’s pretty big and he’s mad with everything going on,” Delay said.

Then there is Puck, the sprite, who manages to get people into all sorts of trouble.

“Puck is a very flamboyant character and is always running around being very mischievous and he’s all about having fun,” Seville said.

The students all agree that performing this show has taught them a lot about the most famous playwright in history.

“It helps you figure out how to read literature,” Seville said.

Larson added that it made him appreciate the sense of humor that Shakespeare had despite being removed by over 400 years from modern day.

“Expect to have a good laugh at the show,” he said.

The backdrop, painted by Montana Senator Carmine Mowbray, will help the forest environment come alive. Student Delaney Kohler, who plays the fairy Peasblossom, did the scenic design and put together a great poster promoting the show.

The curtain opens for the show Friday and Saturday, March 9-10, at 7:30 p.m. and then there will be a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. There will also be a special 10 a.m. show on Friday morning for the students of Polson High School.

“These guys have worked so hard on this famous comedy,” Lewing said. “They have adapted to it and they love it.”

So, take it from Puck — Don’t be a mortal fool. Go see the show!

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“She glanced this way, I thought I saw... And when we touched, she didn’t shudder at my paw. No, it can’t be; I’ll just ignore... But then, she’s never looked at me that way before...”

The Ronan High School drama department will present “Beauty and the Beast” at the Ronan Performing Arts Center on March 9, 10, 15 and 16 at 7 p.m.

An original work by Rita Tingey, with lyrics by Karla Martinson and sets and props by Cammy Maughan, “Beauty and the Beast” begins with a pair of discouraged, broke American girls working in an art museum in France, desperate to return home. With one fearing her fiancé has moved on and both being stalked, the girls find themselves in the midst of a surprising adventure.

The story takes unexpected twists and turns, yet turns out true to its fairy tale ending.

A real family treasure of love, longing, loss and laughter, don’t miss the enchanted telling of this famous fairy tale.

• • •

Live from Charlo High School, it’s Saturday Night!

Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, Will Ferrell and others will take the stage when the Charlo High School drama class performs “Saturday Night Live” on Thursday, March 15 at 6:30 p.m. in the Charlo Gymnasium.

Students will put on the hilarious antics that have made the NBC hit an uproarious success for nearly 40 years. Featuring the Chris Farley Show, Wheel of Fortune with the Coneheads and the middle school dance team’s version of Weekend Update, the performance is sure to have the audience laughing throughout.

For more information, call Janet Perry at (406) 644-2206, ext. 229.

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IT'S SHOWTIME!

POLSON

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Friday, Saturday, March 9-10 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 11 at 2 p.m. at the Polson High School Auditorium

RONAN

Beauty and the Beast

Friday-Saturday, March 9-10 and 16-17, 7 p.m. at the Ronan Performing Arts Center

CHARLO

Saturday Night Live

Thursday, March 15, 6:30 p.m. at the Charlo Gymnasium