Elizabethan England came to campus over
the weekend by way of Northland Theater’s
production of Shakespeare’s Two Gentlemen of Verona. As in all of Shakespeare’s comedies, there were themes of unrequited love, enduring love, forgiveness, positive lunacy,
and just plain fun. And then, of course, there’s a big scene in the end in
which everyone gets what he or she deserves.
Played by a student cast and directed by Communications professor Mr. Brock Miller, the play was energetic and light-hearted,
and it kept the audience alert for the each new plot twist. The colorful
costumes—designed by the head of our Costume Department,
Mrs. Carley Turkmani—reflected the mood of the whole production.
Lilting music accompanied scene changes, and the cast gathered together
to sing a love song as the finale.
After curtain call, several people commented that they hadn’t
had any trouble following the poetic phraseology, and several times throughout the production, audience members reacted vocally
to the characters onstage. You know that a connection has been made when the audience starts giving advice to the actors.
A comedy fit the bill perfectly for this
time of year—the part of the semester where you’re close enough to see
the end, but too far away to call it the homestretch just yet. Well done
to everyone fromTwo
Gentlemen of Verona!