The Putnam County Playhouse “Shakespeared!” Youth Theatre Workshop is well underway working on two version of The Taming of the Shrew. Performances are open to the public on Friday, July 31st and August 1st at 7pm at the Putnam County Playhouse. Admission is $3 for adults, 12 and under are free.
The middle school group, directed by Eleanor Howard with John Reach assisting, are rehearsing their fun, farcical, and festive comedic version of the play set in the old Italian city of Padua. Miranda Brown, Samantha Funk, and Savannah Wolfe are designing costumes and gathering props, and Nicolette Blackledge will be coordinating the sound design. Directing the high school group in their 1960’s sassy version are David Johnson and Ellen Blackledge with Catherine Ryan-Shager as stage manager, Miranda Brown and Josie Tischer designing and coordinating costumes, Ella Tischer on props, and Nicolette Blackledge coordinating sound. Our Middle School cast includes Hadley Roderick as the title character, Kate, Avalyn Templeton as Petruchio, and rounding out the ensemble are Hollis Barcus, Anna Emmerich, Nola Foy, Lucas Gardner, Zoey Hagerott, Betsy Hatfield, Lenora Hazzard, Charlotte Jones, Millie Jones, Chloe Lane, Ella Marmulewicz, Elijah Neeley, Amber Pennington, Carson Squires, Clark Squires, Cece Wells, Molly West, Kya Williams, Aliana Wilson, and Tatum Wilson.
Our High School cast includes Josie Cox as Kate, Mikey Henry as Petruchio, and completing this talented ensemble are Rose Wood, Jacob Deakins, Alex Gurnon, Evelyn Ryan-Shager, Jeffrey Crabb, Gabriela Briceno, Savannah Wolfe, Mariah Hall, Syrci Abbott, Nicolette Blackledge, Breanna Huchel, Kendra Arruda, Demi Ontrop, Jewelee Butcher, Joeie Johnson, Alex Grayson, Iris Beck, Ashelyn Nugent, and Brooklyn Payne. Created by Caroline Good, the “Shakespeared!” Youth Theatre Workshop program is tailored to provide young players with an opportunity to engage with Shakespeare’s text in a fun way and to see the potential interpretations that lie within the text. Directors of each group devise their own unique versions of the play, all with creative input from their casts. Kids learn about acting, using their imaginations and voices, staging and movement, and that Shakespeare isn’t really scary at all.
