“Shakespeare in Love” and Gettysburg Will Be Too
By Kenzie Smith, Staff Writer
Blake Dudley ’23 (left) and Laura Duffy ’23 (right) rehearse for “Shakespeare in Love” which will debut at the Majestic in early November 2022. (Photo Eric Lippe/The Gettysburgian)
The beginning of the fall semester brings a flourish of activities, clubs, and groups, one of these being the Theatre Arts Program. This fall, the program will perform the adapted stage version of “Shakespeare in Love.” Auditions were held on Aug. 31 and Sept. 2 with over thirty people auditioning.
The experience of those auditioning ranged from students who had previously participated in high school drama clubs to seniors who have been involved in Gettysburg’s Theatre Arts Program for years. Regardless of the previous training of the auditionees, a place was found for them in “Shakespeare in Love.”
This is one of the larger casts of recent productions put together by the Theatre Arts Department, allowing all who auditioned to be involved in the play through varying roles and positions. There are thirty-one cast members, one main stage manager, and four assistant stage managers. Even more people will be involved through set design, costumes, and other aspects of the play.
Shakespeare in Love has a complex storyline filled with comedy, drama, sword fighting, and romance. The tale follows William Shakespeare, played by Blake Dudley ’23, as he overcomes his writer’s block to pay back his creditors. He finally gets a streak of inspiration from the beautiful Viola, played by Laura Duffy ’23, who has a love for poetry and a secret desire to be an actor. Viola not only becomes William’s muse as he writes the renowned Romeo and Juliet, but is also able to disguise herself as a man to act in the play. The plot thickens as Viola is revealed to have been promised to a Lord. Viola and William’s romance begins to parallel the play that Shakespeare is writing; the only question left is, will both stories or only one end in tragedy?
“This show presents so many unique challenges that I’m really excited to tackle. From having to portray both a man and a woman onstage, to memorizing and reciting multiple characters worth of Shakespearean verse, Viola is unlike any role I’ve done before,” said Duffy. “Being in shows at Gettysburg has been integral to my experience here—it’s given me incredible opportunities and lifelong friends.”
Dudley echoed Duffy’s statements.
Blake Dudley ’23 rehearses for “Shakespeare in Love” (Photo Eric Lippe/The Gettysburgian).
“Working with the whole cast and crew has been a blast,” Dudley said. “Learning all of the lines has certainly been a struggle but when you see it on stage you’ll see how great the show is.”
Theatre Arts Professor Christopher Kauffman will be directing “Shakespeare in Love.” He is very excited to be able to embody this play with a “cast [that] is fantastic and talented.” Kauffman talked about the many aspects of the play that will be fun to perform but also the challenges some present.
“This is a funny play with great love scenes, broad comedy, sword fighting, and even choreography,” Kauffman said, “We will need to strike a balance between comedy and genre.”
Kauffman spoke on the versatility needed for some of the roles. Certain actors will need to dive into their inner poet, while others will need to bring forth their comedic side. All this variety will need to be achieved while “inhabiting the world of the play,” Kauffman said. On top of these dynamics, choreographer Jeremi Dilworth will add her own vision to the mix.
The play will debut at the Majestic Theater Nov. 10, Nov. 11 and Nov. 12 at 7:30 p.m and then on Nov. 13 at 2 p.m.
Editor-in-Chief Katie Oglesby and Social Media Manager Lauren Chu contributed to reporting.
This article originally appeared on page 20 of the September 2022 edition of The Gettysburgian’s magazine.
