Newman’s theater department packed up and took Shakespeare’s Hamlet down the road to perform at local high schools.
The production’s first performance was on campus, March 6-8, with that Saturday being a full house. Afterwards, they started a short tour of the performance for high school English and Drama classes.
Theater Director Mark Mannette, who’s been at Newman almost 15 years, came up with the idea in order to promote Newman and its theater program.
“The perception of the public is that there is nothing going on here theater-wise, but now we’re going to prove to them that there is something going on,” said Mannette.
Mannette had to cut down Hamlet—Shakespeare’s longest running play— to 90 minutes of only the most famous bits, while still maintaining its story. He says he’s no stranger to doing this, however, as his degree is in Shakespeare and Renaissance Literature and Performance. If that wasn’t proof enough, he also has two bookshelves in his office dedicated to Shakespeare’s works.
With three performances down, the cast was ready for their tour debut at Mary Seat of Wisdom, just a four-minute drive from Newman grounds. Still, this came with the challenge of transporting a large set and fitting it into a variety of different spaces. Mannette says while the set was made to be able to fold and transport, there’s still the risk of wear and tear.
At Mary Seat of Wisdom, their stage was a short, elongated cafeteria down a flight of stairs. Once lunch tables were pushed back for seating and the kitchen was hidden behind the stone-wall foam backdrop, their stage was set.
Before the show on March 13, Mannette turned lights on and off to find the best lighting. The actor of role of Hamlet, senior Corbin Molina, seemed to be the first of the cast to be dressed and ready. He paced the room as other cast members brisked by, half-dressed.
“I’ve seen some Hamlet before, so let’s see how you measure up,” a bystander said to him.
“To Hamlet or not to Hamlet,” Molina returned, a reference to Hamlet’s most famous quote, ‘To be or not to be.’
A small group of about 23 high schoolers and teachers filled the lunch tables. Mannette introduced the play with a thank you to the students for being their “first tour audience.”
The cast’s semester-long rehearsals became obvious as Shakespeare’s tongue-twisting language flowed smoothly. Still, the set proved itself as their biggest challenge when one of the curtains attached to the backdrop fell down near the end of the performance. The actors continued, unswayed by the hiccup.
After spring break, the production performed for Northwest High school on March 25, Bishop Carroll on March 26, then Eisenhower High School on March 31.
“Having the chance for my acting classes to be able to see a play on our stage performed by other actors will be a great experience for them,” said Tony Rosales, drama teacher at Bishop Carroll Catholic High School.
