Shakespeare returns to UAHuntsville

Reggie Allen
February 19, 2013
Filed under News, Student Life

Only a few months after UAHunsville’s production of “The Tempest,” William Shakespeare made a gallant return to UAH Feb. 5-7 for the Shakespeare Festival.

In conjunction with the UAH English Honor Society and Huntsville Literary Association, The American Shakespeare Center performed Shakespeare’s comedies “Twelfth Night” and “Love’s Labour’s Lost,” as well as The Duchess of Malfi, a non-Shakespearean tragedy for a crowd consisting of mostly high school and college students. Before each of the plays, attendants had the opportunity to attend a free lecture explaining key facts and background information for each of the individual plays.

“Shakespeare wasn’t meant to be read,” Dr. Jeff Nelson of the Honor society said. “It was meant to be performed…The script was meant for the actors.” This held true, as the professionally contracted cast made the lines their own and created a laugh-filled and emotion-invoking performance.

Audience members were brought along for the ride as many of the cast members took the play beyond the stage to the audience area and directly involved unsuspecting attendants in scenes. “Back in Shakespeare’s day there wasn’t any theatrical lighting,” Glenn Stoodle, director and stage manager of the American Shakespeare said. “And we strongly think Shakespeare actors would interact with the audience.”

The three plays were given a contemporary feel, exposing the usually hidden humor and satire that Shakespeare had up his sleeve, and cast members incorporated famous hits “Call Me Maybe” and “I Want it that Way” into the play to create a more relaxed feel.