Professional thespians put on a show for Bonny Eagle students
BY AYDAN SORG
The stage was set, the audience was silent, and as the actors entered, all eyes were drawn to them as they worked to bring Shakespeare to life for an auditorium full of high school students. Recently,the traveling company from the Theater at Monmouth, which is performing A Midsummer Night's Dream this fall, brought a condensed version of the show to BEHS during an assembly Monday (Oct. 16). The six actors, one of whom is from Portland, played multiple roles in the fast-paced Shakespearean comedy. After the show, the actors stayed for a talk-back session with members of Bonny Eagle's award-winning drama club.
Despite the small cast, they managed to fill 18 roles Each actor was able to portray different emotions and use different voices, based on their character’s personality and traits.
I absolutely loved the facial expressions the actors displayed, even when they were just observing a scene. I think the actors made sure everyone enjoyed the show. They were in tune with the audience throughout the whole show.
The only negative thing was the play itself, simply because the beginning was quite confusing. But by the end, everything made sense as the loose ends of all the stories were tied together in some way, and everything was resolved. Overall the play was wonderful, all because the actors really did seem to enjoy performing—or at least they acted like they did.
My personal favorite of the six actors was Ardarius Blakely. He really knew how to get the audience into the play and make them enjoy it. His facial expressions were absolutely hilarious, along with his stage presence. When Blakely was on the stage your eyes were immediately drawn towards him. He just had this aura of power, his voice was loud and proud, along with his stance. Blakely could tell a whole story without even speaking. Moving his body and changing the expressions on his face were all he had to do to win an audience over and make the show a success. Eagle Times photos
The stage was set, the audience was silent, and as the actors entered, all eyes were drawn to them as they worked to bring Shakespeare to life for an auditorium full of high school students. Recently,the traveling company from the Theater at Monmouth, which is performing A Midsummer Night's Dream this fall, brought a condensed version of the show to BEHS during an assembly Monday (Oct. 16). The six actors, one of whom is from Portland, played multiple roles in the fast-paced Shakespearean comedy. After the show, the actors stayed for a talk-back session with members of Bonny Eagle's award-winning drama club.
Despite the small cast, they managed to fill 18 roles Each actor was able to portray different emotions and use different voices, based on their character’s personality and traits.
I absolutely loved the facial expressions the actors displayed, even when they were just observing a scene. I think the actors made sure everyone enjoyed the show. They were in tune with the audience throughout the whole show.
The only negative thing was the play itself, simply because the beginning was quite confusing. But by the end, everything made sense as the loose ends of all the stories were tied together in some way, and everything was resolved. Overall the play was wonderful, all because the actors really did seem to enjoy performing—or at least they acted like they did.
My personal favorite of the six actors was Ardarius Blakely. He really knew how to get the audience into the play and make them enjoy it. His facial expressions were absolutely hilarious, along with his stage presence. When Blakely was on the stage your eyes were immediately drawn towards him. He just had this aura of power, his voice was loud and proud, along with his stance. Blakely could tell a whole story without even speaking. Moving his body and changing the expressions on his face were all he had to do to win an audience over and make the show a success. Eagle Times photos