Haven’t brushed up on your Shakespeare? Read a summary of all plays here!
For the final SHS theatre production for the class of 2025, everyone agreed they should perform something Shakespearean. However, no one could decide upon which play to act out. So, everyone’s just mashing things together from different plays. Should turn out well, even after not rehearsing, right?
Romeo and Juliet (Part One)
Students and adults alike filter into the auditorium. The lights dim. The curtains open. Seth Falk and Chez Debruin enter, clad in 16th century garments. Seth speaks, “O, speak again, bright angel! for thou art as glorious to this night.”
Chez smiles, “O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?”
Madeline Schulz and Gabriel Horton roll their eyes from backstage, thinking that they should’ve been cast as Romeo and Juliet instead. Samantha Opitz calls from the side of the stage, “Madam, Madam!” Charlette Albers, Elizabeth Stokes, Ashley Livingston, DeJah Baltus, and DeKiah Baltus are all lined up as Juliet’s ensemble.
“A thousand times goodnight—” Chez begins, but is interrupted.
Macbeth (Part One)
Lukas Hartberg, Anton Royko, and Gage Nelson enter, dressed in witches robes. Lukas takes center stage and together they chant, “Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.”
Lorik Kurtaj enters, “O well done! I commend your pains; And every one shall share i’ the gains.”
Yll Ahmeti begins his lines with “By the pricking of my thumbs–” but is suddenly interrupted by Miles Heritsch, who realizes that they’ve begun quoting Macbeth (which is notoriously bad luck for theatre). Alex Christianson has to intervene and drag Miles, who is screaming hysterically, offstage.
Julian Molnar enters and proclaims, “How now, you secret, black and midnight hags? What is’t you do?” Dominick Andruss, Kade Hustad, Tyus Kane, Isaac Ringen, Charles Smyth, and Viktor Sveen, dressed as witches, all answer: “A deed without a name!”
Helena King, Liam Weitner, and E Olson enter as apparitions to prophesize to Macbeth, but are once again interrupted by a new group who takes over the stage.
Julius Caesar
Hayden Abing, Ean Rowin, and Colton Toso all shout, “Beware the Ides of March!” They are ignored by a bold Ashton Clausen who stands center stage, rejecting the crown offered to him by Max Packard, Grady Postel, and Aiden Klawitter. James Tallman, Vincent Cannistraro, and Danil Kostetskyi, wary of Ashton’s influence, can be seen conspiring together on the other side of the stage. They argue whether or not they should take action.
After they finally manage to convince Danil to do something about this potential tyrant, they rush to the Senate with a group of conspirators played by Thor Skupien, MJ Keane, Nico Cortes-Lema, Rowan Tellander, and Jack Phillips. Ashton realizes their plan, but is then surrounded on both sides by Jude Surrell, Josh Neilsen, Julian Ceja, Reuben Davis, Indy Dennis, Cole Moyer, and Xavier Vogt.
As Ashton is “stabbed” by each actor in turn, and then the stage clears as Danil steps downstage to deliver the final blow. Ashton lets out a final shout: “Et tu, Danil?”
But there isn’t much time for reflection, because the stage is overtaken by a group determined to finish Romeo and Juliet.
Romeo and Juliet (Part Two)
Julian Callender, Camdyn Hardy, and Calvin Hartel stage the great fight between Romeo, Tybalt, and Marcutio, as Ashten Windisch and Kole Zeigler cheer them on. Arthur Baverstock and Katherine Ross banish Julian from their lands.
Mercury Evans and Kaia Roe are busy having a brawl over Chez’s Juliet dress, which they have stolen, but Jalyn Roe steps in as the Friar and decides to give them both a sleeping potion.
Although Julian is a little confused when he stumbles upon two Juliets, he executes the final few scenes perfectly, and the mourning Montagues (played by Evelina Beckstrom, Makia Flood, Landen Odegaard, and Makenzie Turner) make amends with the mourning Capulets (played by Kennedy Christensen, Emelia Hopper, Ellah Kettelsen, Eva Ramsden, and Kaitlyn Hook) and the play comes to an end.
Twelfth Night
Suddenly, Siri Vienneau rushes onstage claiming she has lost her twin brother in a tragic boating accident. Villagers Marah Kostlevy and Naomi Matthiesen direct her to Simon Mehring dressed as the formidable Duke Orsino.
Siri suddenly pulls off a fantastical costume change and disguises herself as her brother so she can work as Simon’s assistant. Simon brings her to the front of the stage and gives her her first task: convince the ever-single Olivia (played by Mary Estelle Bubon) to go out with him.
But when Siri gets to the side of the stage where Mary is hiding with Emerson Wozniak, it’s love at first sight–except she thinks Siri is really her shipwrecked twin brother. Awkward! She’s too stunned to speak, so Emerson walks forward, and (forgetting her line), just yells, “She’s not interested!” and shoves Siri back to Simon’s side of the stage.
Now Simon is disappointed with Siri’s inability to convince Mary, but her character has bigger problems: Kellan Stocksad and Ethan Strandlie show up doubling as Marcutio, with Kellan yelling: “Some are born great, some achieve greatness…” and Ethan finishing his line with “and some have greatness thrust upon them!” They then break out into a dance number with Andrew Scott, Andy Quam, Charlotte Shepherd, Gaolee Yang, Alex Theissen, and Victor Rivera as their backup dancers.
Anyways, back to the main action. Soren Vienneau shows up onstage as Siri’s long-lost brother. Surprise, he’s not actually dead! But when Mary rushes to confess her feelings to Siri, she’s confused…there are two of them now?
Siri and Soren stand center stage as more villagers, played by Viona Ahmeti, Jona Selmani, Olta Selmani, and Eriona Shehu surround them, demanding the truth.
Siri’s character reveals her ultimate plan to disguise herself as her brother. Suddenly everything makes sense! The actors arrange themselves to portray two weddings: Leighton Dunnihoo, Elisabeth Gilbert, Lily O’Hearn, Chalee Pinnow, and Samantha Weber rush to the right to celebrate Siri and Simon’s characters, while Emma Twedt, Lisa Wang, Gabriele Janisch, Jacqueline McGee, and Yuliette Sanabria Aponte cheer on Soren and Mary’s characters from the left. The scene is rounded out with a final number, and another group takes the stage…
The Tempest
Kya Mistark, Ava Sedlaceck, Natalie Iverson, and Kaylee Christianson bring their prop boat to the stage as the lights flicker. It’s a thunderstorm! Chelsea Hardin is flying around as the spirit Ariel causing chaos! They all scream—as the set changes to Travis Ryan dressed as a wizened old wizard, explaining to Rebecca Rousseau why he’s stuck on this island and how he’s seeking revenge on his traitorous brother.
Suddenly, a handsome man shows up onstage. It’s Marlon Brando playing Ferdinand! Mrs. Rousseau is too distracted to remember any of her lines and instead runs off with Marlon Brando into the sunset, shouting, “O brave new world that has such people in’t!”
But the show must go on, and Atticus Tyrell, Sophia Skerpan, March Feiteira, and Maia Hart also show up on the island. March and Sophia’s characters plot to kill Atticus’s, but they’re thwarted by the pesky Ariel once again.
Meanwhile, Colton Hanson is on the other side of the stage playing Caliban, and is confronted by the jokesters Zachary Koshollek, Carter Tredinnick, and De’Andre Longley, who convince him to join them on a mystical journey.
Finally, Atticus, Sophia, March, and Maia’s characters have trudged their way to Travis, but Ariel once again distracts them with a horde of gods and goddesses played by Benjamin Apel, Myranda Brown, Lacy Danninger, Beatrix Johnson, Connor Ruyle, Brayden Welhofer, Breña Sveinsson, and Eris Meinke.
Finally, everyone is able to make amends, and Henry Brabender, Michael Herheim, Joshua Phillips, Grace Braund, and Abigail Lange bring the boat back for everyone to journey offstage.
Macbeth (Part Two)
James Jordan, KK Lemon, Josiah Martinez, Siara Whitley, and Vincent Moreau rush back onstage as witches and start prophesying away. “By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes,” they sneer, as the new Macbeth, played by Thaddeus Hauge, walks onstage.
He’s convinced to lead a terrible army through the lands, but his nemesis Macduff, played by Kieran Hauge, convinces Liam Barman to rival him…
Until a new group overtakes the stage!
Antony and Cleopatra
Anthony Gutierrez, Tamaine Rodgers, and Leshawn Brown enter as the three rulers of Rome, with Anthony playing Antony (duh). They set the stage in Egypt, where Amari Young enters as Cleopatra, with Brooke Iverson, Elsa Jones, Rylie Bradley, Monica Riley, and Makenzie McClelland as her ensemble.
Unfortunately, after a few short scenes, Antony and Cleopatramari are separated as the three rulers return to Rome. After a political scuffle, the three of them decide Antony must marry Caesar’s sister Octavia (begrudgingly played by Ava Mueller) to smoothen out affairs. They set the stage with a big party, with Kadience Clark, Maria Marin, Gracie Parisi, Ellen Lagunas-Alvarez, Aubrey Mund, and Natalie Rufh in attendance, hosted as a peace deal by the rebellious and ex-enemy-of-Rome Pompey (played by Brian Espasandin).
Trystan Thompson rushes to the other side of the stage to alert Cleopatramari of her lover’s new marriage. She’s furious at first, but then realizes Oct-ava is no real threat. To make matters worse, Antony realizes that his fellow leaders have revoked their peace treaty and are attacking Pompey with an army made up of Emma Flint and Evan Scanlon.
Everyone starts fighting in a chaotic mess. Octavia gets broken up with, all the guys have swords, it’s insane. For some reason, nobody can remember quite how it ends.
“I know! I think we all kill ourselves!” somebody shouts. “No, that’s Romeo and Juliet, you idiot,” someone else yells. From the audience, they hear “It’s Shakespeare! That’s how every play ends!” The cast looks at one another and says, “You’re right!”
“ENOUGH OF THIS!” a new group yells. “WE’RE DOING HAMLET!”
Hamlet
Evie de Groot, Marcela Romeiro De Melo Teles, and Annelie Ruehlmann guard the new set of Elsinore Castle where they’re met by Joshua Parisi, playing Horatio, a friend of Hamlet. The guards tell him the story of a ghost they saw that looks just like Hamlet’s father, and the 4 of them decide to go tell Hamlet.
When they reach Hamlet (played by Jackson Mueller), he decides he’d like to see this ghost for himself because he’s “dying” for some closure on his weird family history. Hamlet’s uncle married his mother after his father’s death to take control of the throne, which Carson Missall and Shyne Sparks act out for the audience.
On the other half of the stage, the royal attendant Polonius (played by Cameron Schneider) says farewell to his son Laertes (played by TJ Rather) before he departs to France and gives a warning to his daughter Ophelia (played by Joseff Mohyddin) to stay far away from Hamlet.
Suddenly, the ghost floats onstage in a very convincing portrayal by Jaden Keo. Ham-Jackson swears to get revenge, and feigns madness in order to do it.
So, he starts acting super weird. He rejects Jophelia and ends up writing a play about his father’s death with a band of actors: Jay Johnson, Casey Quam, Mason Richter, Andrew Knickmeier, Teddy Kohlhoff, Kaeson Saloneck, Carter Sullivan, Drew Viney, and Colin Weisensel, that he plans to perform in front of the King and Queen. The whole time, he’s getting spied on by Carson Missall and Cameron Schneider.
At the performance, Carson, as Hamlet’s uncle, storms out in rage. He, along with Hamlet’s mother and Cameron-Polonius, band together to hide from the unpredictable Hamlet after the show, but he shows up and stabs Polonius anyways. The ghost comes back and scolds Ham-Jackson, to which he responds, “What a piece of work is man!”
Hamlet journeys to Norway in an elaborate scene change as, suddenly, an army made up of Autumn Bonti, Melody Delgado, Jasmine Montiel, Paige Nelson, and Kiera Vesterdahl marches through, with Bridgett Fischer leading them as King Fortinbras of Norway. Also Jophelia drowns on accident. Whoops.
Ham-Jackson runs into Jophelia’s brother LaerTJs and challenges him to a duel, cheered on by Ella Hamacher, Gracie Schmidt, and Gretchen Tangeman. Turns out, they both die. “Of course they both die,” the audience groans.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Nora Knoploh, Katie McCann, Janice Osborne, and Kiley Widish run onstage and off into the woods after a series of quarrels with various royalties and with each other. They’re followed by the fairy Puck, played by Brianna Woelke, and overseen by the Fairy King Oberon, played by Gianna Wolfe.
Puck crosses the stage with a jug of magical flower juice and pours it all over the four adventurers. Suddenly, their characters’ couplings are all mixed up. The other fairies, played by Forrest Burrington, Colin Butler, Kyle Elliott, Trenton Thorpe, Isabella Balaine, and Christopher Zickovich, laugh as they see what’s going on. Oberon insists that Puck fix whatever he’s done, but Puck opts for turning Nora into a donkey instead.
More of the magic juice gets thrown around, ending up with the Fairy Queen, played by Sophia Hay, falling for the donkey, while her royal fairy escorts Soren Philippi and Natasha Schindler follow her around, swooning.
Eventually, everyone is convinced to set things right with this magic juice. Puck splashes some restorative anti-juice juice onto all the actors, and everyone ends up back with their rightful partner.
They all agree to do what they were trying to do out in the woods in the first place: put on a play! Andrew Reuter, Noah Zettelmeier, Braden Dalsoren, and Aaron McLaughlin rush to set the stage, while Shawn Houfe, Riley Chamberlain-Mills, Nelson Kuhls, Andi Heta, Gael Hidrogo-Balderas, and Leart Hoxha take their places for the final number. They yell, “Lord, what fools these mortals be!”
When the last scene ends on the chaotic Shakespearean mashup, Alexander Skaar, Mason Freye, Jackson Handel, Reese Hansen, Haiden Huset, Ethan Falk, and Griffin Rousseau clear the stage. Everyone meets out in the lobby to discuss their final act before graduation. Even though it was a hodgepodge of different ideas, everyone’s light shone through and it showed that when the whole class worked together, truly amazing things could happen.
After all,
“All the world’s a stage!” –Shakespeare
