An Off Campus Theatrical Extravaganza
This coming spring, our Grace Theatre Company will perform “As You Like It,” a delightful Shakespearean play that has been adapted into a musical by Shaina Taub, an up and coming musician and writer. Usually, musicals and plays alike are performed in Tuttle Hall, a multipurpose space in Grace’s grade school campus, but unlike in recent years, “As You Like It,” will be presented at the Sheen Center, a short walk from Grace. “It is a big theater with more than 200 seats, and it’s a really exciting change because we get our own backstage which has never happened before,” stated Georgia Ossorguine ‘18, member of the Grace Theatre Company. As well as being staged in a different space, this particular musical has never before been done outside of the Public Theater, which allowed Grace to be the first school to license the piece.
Performing high school theatre off-campus for the first time will be possible because of Grace’s unique connection with The Public. Considering the enormity of the production, when the Sheen Center opportunity presented itself, the theatre company jumped at the chance. Lucia Rogerson ‘18 said, “This is a really big production, so getting a space for it is really exciting because it allows us to expand our theatre company.” The possibilities for the musical at the Sheen Center are limitless, which allows for an extravagant set and a professional space for Grace’s actresses and actors to perform. “As You Like It” also opens up possibilities to be involved with other programs such as the GO Project and some community centers around the city. Recently, The Public Theatre has been cooperating with Public Works, an organization that gives amature actors the chance to work beside and learn from professionals. It is the hope of the Grace Theatre Company that “As You Like It” will emulate the blending of beginners and experts as The Public does so effortlessly. It is the intention of the spring musical directors to include children from the GO Project and the middle school as well as invite teachers and athletes to participate in making “As You Like It” come to life.
Petra Hinds ‘20, an involved member of the theater department, said, “I saw it at the Delacorte and it was awesome and I hope that we can reach a fraction of the same greatness that was achieved there!” Petra will be auditioning for a role in the spring musical in early February. The original casting list was only eight or nine characters, but over the summer Shaina Taub made the musical version much larger, allowing many more people to be a part of it. Grace will continue to expand the all encompassing performance, supporting anyone who wants to audition.
Although the spring musical will not be cast, rehearsed or performed for quite some time, the winter play is right around the corner. The play is called “Necessary Evil,” and it is written and directed by Tristan Griffin ‘18 and Laurent Brodie ‘18. The theater department encourages anyone to audition for the spring musical and to support the theater program.