Jan 21, 2008
Wilton underclassmen will 'haunt' Shakespeare starting Thursday, Jan. 24
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Wilton High School’s Little Theatre Company will present its underclassman winter production, “The Haunting of Will Shakespeare,” a comic send-up of the bard and his own characters entangled in tales of love and woe, on Jan. 24 through 26.
The play presents a fanciful version of how the young Will Shakespeare, played by Adam Leibowitz, found his true calling as a playwright after being haunted one night in the woods en route to London to seek his future as an actor. As Will is pursued through the woods by a young maiden played by Joanna Valk who is in love with Will, three witches conspire to redirect his future. The witches, who hail from “Macbeth”, are played by Amy Sullivan, Sylvia Cunningham and Eric Smolen.
The goal of the witches is to turn the young Will into a playwright so he can write about their escapades and free them from the woods. To inspire the young man, the witches summon ghosts taken from the very pages of some of Shakespeare’s most noteworthy plays, to engage him through the evening.
Among the characters young Will first encounters is a ghostly Hamlet played by Drew Mitchell, who asks “Can you write or can you not write? That is the true question,” a comic riff on Hamlet’s own famous soliloquy. Also appearing from Hamlet is Ophelia, played by Katherine Rinaldi. As soon as one ghost appears, Will is suddenly surrounded and challenged by many spirits who urge him to forgo acting so he can write about their own stories.
Appearing from “As You Like It” are Rosalind, played by Hilary Clifford, Celia, played by Cailey Fiesel, Phoebe, played by Bridget Sirotnale and Silvius played by Chris Magnano. “Twelfth Night,” which the Little Theatre just staged, brings Viola, played by Ali Rizzo and Olivia, played by Sam Westray.
Also joining in the “Haunting” are characters from a “Mid Summer’s Night Dream,” including Bottom, played by Mike DiBari, Flute, played by Parke Stevenson and Starveling played by Conner Fray. From “The Taming of the Shrew” are the principal players Petruchio, played by Daagan Rossini and Kate, played by Grace DeLisi. And from “Romeo and Juliet,” young Will is visited by Juliet, played by Isabel Jimenez and her Nurse, played by Anna McMorrow. The play also includes an ensemble that features Corinne Hirotsu, Mia Lupo, Cole Freudenthal, Matt Fleisher, Karl Keasler, Michael Kaelin, Derek Laaman and Kyle Montoya.
As an underclassman production “The Haunting of Will Shakespeare’s cast consists of only freshman, sophomores and juniors from Wilton High School. The play was written by Claudia Haas and was the first place winner in Columbia Entertainment Company’s Jackie White Memorial Play Writing Contest for 2001.
“The Haunting of Will Shakespeare” is being directed by Carol Sell and produced by Wilton theater teacher Bonnie Dickinson. Assistant directors are Danielle Flom and Sam Westray. The stage manager is Michael Hill and props are managed by Leah Price.
Show times are Jan. 24, at 7:30 p.m., Jan. 25, at 8 p.m. and Jan. 26, at 5 p.m. in the Little Theatre. Tickets will be on sale at the door one hour before performances, during lunch waves Jan. 22 through 25, at whstix@aol.com, or 834-4844.
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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