For those who feels the need to brush up on Shakespeare, or just want an evening of comedy infused with the lyrical wit of Cole Porter, “Kiss Me Kate” comes to the Herricks High School stage this weekend.
“Kiss Me Kate” is that play within a play that portrays a cast doing a musical version of “Taming of the Shrew” with overtones resonating from Shakespeare’s classic marital war of wills.
There is the primary conflict on and off-stage between Fred Graham, the show’s director, producer, and star, and his leading lady and ex-wife Lilli Vanessi.
Another rocky romance involves Lois Lane, the actress playing Bianca, and her gambler boyfriend, Bill, who has invited unwanted attention from some gangsters.
Amy Dolan Fletcher, the director of the musical, said she figured she had the musical talent at Herricks to pull of the play.
Fletcher said she also wanted to be able to cast as many actors as possible, and the play requires 21 actors.
“The kids get to do some Shakespeare work. Cole Porter wrote a great score,” Fletcher said. “It’s great music for them to play, a good old-fashioned musical.”
She said some of the students have already had some experience with Shakespeare having performed in the Herricks High multimedia Student Television Arts Company course.
“The kids are taking to it. They’re really rising to the occasion,” Fletcher said.
The play is a distinct departure from recent musicals at Herricks, which have included “How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” and “Urinetown.”
Herricks junior Andrew Greiche, who played a cranky tycoon in “How to Succeed” last year, said playing Fred – and doing Shakespeare – is a refreshing challenge.
“For me this role is different. It’s more comedic than other parts I’ve done,” Greiche said. “I haven’t really done Shakespeare before. It was a large learning experience.”
Herricks senior Sarah Fernandez said she’s read Shakespeare plays, but playing Shakespeare is an entirely different thing. She said she’s enjoying the emotional range needed to play Lilli.
“Lilli definitely has the emotional side of all the characters I’ve ever played,” Fernandez said. “She comes off as arrogant but she’s very emotional. She goes through every emotion possible.”
Herricks senior Sabrina Kalman’s Lois Lane is not very dissimilar to the seductive secretary she played in “How to Succeed.” She said she’s having fun playing the “flirty” role as well as the dancing in the show.
“It’s not a serious part. The play is just a crazy, silly show and I like that,” Kalman said.
For the unnamed gangsters, played by sophomore Ishan Handa and junior Brian Brew, reflecting on the seductive appeal of the Bard’s words in “Brush Up Your Shakespeare” is a kick.
“It’s my favorite. It’s joke by joke by joke,” Handa said.
“It’s so Shakespearean with so many references. But it’s corny at the same time,” Brew said.
The cast will try to wow the audience with its Shakespeare this weekend in the Herricks High School auditorium on Nov. 22 and 23 at 7:30 p.m. and on Nov. 24 at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students, free for Herricks seniors who have the Herricks Gold Pass and $5 for non-Herricks seniors.
