William Shakespeare penned a total of around 37 plays in his life, and over the next four days, students will be able to take in a performance that recreates every single one of them. Sort of.
From Wednesday, Oct. 1 through Sunday, Oct. 5, the Burtness Theatre will host the UND Department of Theatre Arts’ production of “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged),” a comedy (and a tragedy, and a history) that packs every one of the bard’s plays into a fast-paced hour-and-a-half stage production bursting with laughs, monologues, and absurdly compressed scenes pulled from the writer’s legendary body of work. But perhaps the most astonishing part of the production is that the play’s cast is made up of only three performers.
“Having only three cast members means that the energy, chemistry and timing between the three of us is essential,” said freshman Bethany Shipley, who plays eight different characters in the production, most notably Hamlet. “We really need to trust each other, and ourselves. Unlike a more conventional production, there’s nowhere to hide.”
“I personally prefer plays with smaller casts,” said James Tweedale, the play’s director. “It creates a feeling that everyone is a vital piece to the puzzle.”
The appreciation for a smaller cast size extends beyond the practical. An opinion universally shared by the play’s three cast members is that the limited number of players means the bonds between them are especially strong, both on stage and during rehearsals.
“I…love the way it feels like we are just three friends putting on a show,” said freshman cast member Hannah Scholand, who plays 15 characters. “It can be stressful, the four-hour sessions every night aren’t easy, but the people I get to work with make it easier.”
The production also marks the beginning of an important milestone: it is the first of the final series of plays that will be performed in the Burtness Theatre before the Department of Theatre Arts completes its move to Starcher Hall.
“It means a lot to be to be able to wrap up our time as a department in the Burtness Lab theatre,” said senior performer Alexis Mull, who plays a whopping 17 characters in the production. “It’s where my journey with the department began four years ago.”
Overall, excitement on the production side of “Shakespeare (Abridged)” is high, with cast and crew alike excited for audience members to experience this fast, irreverent take on the works of history’s most enduring storyteller.
“I think many people will be surprised just how fun Shakespeare can be,” said Mull. “I have a feeling most people will come in thinking it’s just going to be the three of us standing under a spotlight, holding a skull, and wearing a ridiculously sized ruff [while] reciting “To be or not to be”. I won’t spoil too much, but be prepared to be a part of the fun.”
“I think people will really love the absurdity of it all,” said Shipley.
Quinn Berg is a Dakota Student Section Editor. He can be reached at [email protected].
