On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, May 2-4 at 7pm each day, student actors and crew members will present the WHS Theater Company’s (T.Co.’s) spring play. With the guidance of director Anne Isaacs, students have already begun preparing their production of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.”
Isaacs has been directing plays at WHS for 15 years. Her love for Shakespeare is part of what has driven her choice of this play.
“‘The Tempest’ is considered Shakespeare’s last play that he wrote,” said Isaacs. “I love ‘The Tempest’ because it defies categories – part romance, part tragedy, part comedy. It also includes magic linked to the magic of the theater, so it celebrates the theatrical form.”
“The Tempest” focuses on a character named Prospero, an Italian nobleman and magician who seeks revenge on those who exiled him and his daughter 12 years ago. The main focus is the change seen in Prospero’s drive for vengeance, which in part develops due to the emerging love story involving his daughter, Miranda, and one of the noblemen he intends to punish for his exile.
“Prospero is a character who has the potential to cause tragedy but doesn’t,” said Isaacs.
When choosing plays to be performed each year, Isaacs thinks about the T.Co. members and what will benefit them most before making a final decision.
“I’m mindful of creating a program for my students’ four years of high school. I really want them to work on a vast array of plays reflecting a range of styles and subject matter,” said Isaacs.
Along with the theatrical learning that is involved in working on the play, students feel that T.Co. is a healthy environment that facilitates their passion for theater.
“I want to keep doing plays because I love the community and a lot of my friends do it,” said sophomore Leah Berger, who is playing Ceres in “The Tempest.”
Isaacs keeps the idea of creating community in mind while she works with students in T.Co. as she knows that the group helps build connections that last long beyond high school.
“I think being involved in a co-curricular program and having a place at school where you feel really connected and like it’s your home is very important,” said Isaacs.
The students in the production appreciate those connections along with the chance to expand valuable skills.
“I love the community and acting. I like that acting helps me build confidence in public speaking,” said freshman Gwen Jackson who is playing Trinculo in the play.
While students can sometimes feel the burden of balancing involvement in school activities with school work and other interests, Isaacs encourages students to try to include a range of experiences during their high school careers.
“You can do many things. You can be a musician and an actor and an athlete and a scholar,” said Isaacs.
Many of the members of T.Co. agree with Isaacs and choose to participate in theater for some shows each year while engaging in other activities when they aren’t in a play.
“I love theater. I do a sport in the winter and theater in spring and fall,” said Berger.
Whether the students perform in one or many plays in a year, Isaacs focuses on helping students grow as much as possible while they work on a production.
“What keeps me coming back to directing plays is the excitement I get seeing students learn about themselves through what they’re portraying on stage,” said Isaacs. “It is wonderful to see a student go from not having a voice to finding a voice.”
“The Tempest” specifically has created some unique challenges for the actors due to the complex writing and character development.
“Trying to decode everything Shakespeare wrote has been difficult,” said Berger.
Shakespeare’s language is very complicated, and having to act and try to help the audience follow the story while also speaking in a way students generally don’t talk can be difficult.
“With Shakespeare you have to convey emotions,” said Jackson. “It’s more difficult to do because you’re not used to [Elizabethan] English.”
Although Shakespeare’s plays are a challenge to perform and the actors have had to put a lot of effort into making the show go smoothly, they are excited to take up the challenge to improve further.
“Weston hasn’t done Shakespeare while I’ve been here. Shakespeare is a great way to improve your acting,” said senior Justin Kirk who is playing Caliban in the show. “It’s a great acting challenge.”