by Becca Risley | Sep 5, 2015 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
Set during the Civil War, the Nashville Shakespeare Festival’s production of “Henry V” spins the classic historical drama in a new way. At the top of the show, the stage is set with a burned down farmhouse occupied by soldiers, nurses and owners of the farm. One returning Union soldier joins his Confederate brother on stage while the owner of the house and a slave woman sit to the side with a copy of “Henry V.” “The owner of the house and the slave begin to read from the book and those of us in the camp have to decide when we play along and why,” senior acting major Brooke Ferguson said. “It’s such a cool idea.” The director of the show, Nat McIntyre, felt that the state of Tennessee during the Civil War was split down the middle between the Confederate soldiers and the Union. His artistic decision to tell this story as part of the Civil War era was his way of bringing a divided family, and thus a divided state, together. “I love the direction that Nat took the play by setting it in the Civil War, while not having the actual events of the play happen during the War,” senior acting/directing major Jonah Jackson said. “I think it is a great way to frame this story that is ultimately about the hope for peace and reconciliation.” Lipscomb students involved with the show include Ferguson, Jackson and senior acting major Scout Pittman. Jackson plays John Bates, an English soldier and The French Duke of Bourbon. Pittman portrays Katherine, the French princess and Ferguson plays Bishop No....
by Ellen Butterfield | Jan 25, 2015 | News Slider
After spending much of January at Belmont University, The Nashville Shakespeare Festival’s tour of “Twelfth Night” will arrive at Lipscomb’s Willard Collins Alumni Auditorium this week. Shakespeare can frighten off modern audiences due to the confusing diction and seemingly out-of-date expressions. “Don’t be intimidated by the language,” said “Twelfth Night” cast member and Lipscomb senior Austin Hunt. Hunt is urging fellow students to give the play a try when it opens. “Show up and watch the show. Pay attention to what we’re saying, but pay attention to what we’re doing, too. We will tell the story to you through our actions and our physicality.” The production was written by William Shakespeare as a celebration for the 12 days of Christmas, but it is also an entertaining blend of comedy and romance infused with song. In “Twelfth Night,” a shipwreck occurs that forces a young girl named Viola to believe her twin brother has died. She then dresses up as him and takes a job with Duke Orcino, who loves Olivia. While disguised as a boy, Viola is sent by the Duke to woo Olivia for him. Olivia falls in love with Viola as a boy instead of the Duke. Twelfth Night speaks comedically about the power and problems of love. Hunt portrays Curio, a manservant to the duke. He has studied with The Nashville Shakespeare Festival since 2013, and he is proud to point out that to best enjoy Shakespeare’s writings, a visit to a live performance is necessary. “Shakespeare was never meant to be read,” Hunt said. “Shakespeare was meant to be performed and watched.” The challenge for Hunt is understanding...
by Rachel Billingsley | Sep 12, 2012 | Opinion
Set in 1945, as soldiers return from the war in the Pacific, the Nashville Shakespeare Festival’s “Much Ado About Nothing” both does justice to the author’s sharp wit and spins the classic in a fitting way. This particular rendition of “Much Ado About Nothing” is a musical rather than a play, but the songs fit in well with the written material. Lipscomb graduate Sawyer Wallace participated in the musical playing the part of Conrad, one of Don John’s most loyal associates. He was just as ridiculous as all of the other characters. Perhaps one of the most hilarious moments in the play is a scene in which the character Benedict is hiding in the garden. He goes out into the audience and jumps from benches to blankets to the ground. In the performance I saw, he even landed in an elderly gent’s lap and crawled through the orchestra pit. It’s an altogether pleasant surprise. The change in scenery and setting – the trademark of the Nashville Shakespeare Festival – is refreshing, and the characters are just as hilarious as those in Shakespeare’s original play. Admission to the performance is free, but donations are accepted in order to fund future productions by the Nashville Shakespeare Festival. But time is running out. The play began Aug. 16 and concludes this coming Sunday. Performances are at Centennial Park at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening, with pre-show entertainment starting at...
