On Saturday, March 1, the Glenn Theater department performed for the opening weekend of the local Sherwood Forest Faire in Paige, TX. Both JV and Varsity shows were featured on the outdoor stage for all fairgoers to see.
Both groups performed their Shakespeare comedies for this event, “As you Like It” and “Love’s Labour Lost”. As is the case for many actors performing Shakespeare, students found difficulty in performing such an old piece of drama.
“I think the biggest challenge is definitely understanding and memorizing the lines,” sophomore Bella Tamayo said. “While it is considered modern English, it’s not the kind of English that you would speak today, so it was hard, like, memorizing the order in which you say words and how you say it. But once we got into the flow of things it made so much sense.”
While the play itself did lend many challenges, the performers were also faced with the aspects of their environment. Not only was the group performing outside, where the noise was a large distraction, they also had to perform on a stage with which they had very minimal rehearsal time.
“It was different because the stage we were performing on was a lot smaller, so we were only able to bring a couple of benches with us to use,” junior Luke Mazuca said. “So that was all we really had to stand on and use to differentiate different levels so it wasn’t all just flat.”
Along with the chance to perform, the group was given tickets to attend the fair for the weekend.
“I’ve been to this specific fair a couple times before,” sophomore Olly Ream said. “My favorite part of it this time was just being able to show all of my friends the parts of it that I liked.”
Others attending shared a similar sentiment. Even those who had never been to a renaissance fair before, or don’t typically enjoy these events, found something to appreciate from the experience.
“It was cool to see people not worry too much about what other people thought of them and just express themselves in a fun way,” Mazuca said. “It’s not personally something for me, but it was cool to see people go out there and dress up and have fun.”
The theater department had a difficult job pulling together two Shakespeare plays, but both performers and audience members enjoyed the experience.
“My main goal every time I perform is just to entertain the audience for however long I’m on stage,” Mazuca said. “I wouldn’t say that my goal is ever to be the best on the stage, I would say that my goal is more to just tell a story and entertain people.”