The theatre department at Creative and Performing Arts is set to premier their latest show, “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead,” on Wednesday, Oct. 31.
“Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead” by Tom Stoppard is loosely based on William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” The play is from the point of view of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.
Pia Wyatt, the play’s director, said the play itself is easy to understand for the common viewer.
“Shakespeare gets a bad name because his stuff is hard to understand, but it’s also because the actor doesn’t know what he’s saying,” Wyatt said. “These actors know what they are saying, and so the common viewer will have no problem understanding whatsoever.”
Additionally, anyone who is familiar with the story of “Hamlet” will be able to follow the parallels between it and the play.
Wyatt said she has been wanting to do this show for years because she feels that reading is a dying sport.
“Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead” will stay true to its original Elizabethan theme.
The play is being put together by students, and Wyatt said it is fantastic for the department to rely heavily on students. She said, “We trust our students so much to be able to do these shows.”
Elizabeth Guy, the play’s costume designer, said she used designs from the Elizabethan, Cavalier, Jacobean and Renaissance eras for the costumes.
“My research was very thorough,” Guy said. “I’ve looked at a ton of different time periods and sticking with the eras I’m going for. I don’t want to go too late or too early and want to stick in that ‘chunk’ of time eras.”
The costume shop has a massive variety of clothing from different time periods and allowed Guy to reference and personalize costumes for the show. Each costume has been modified in a way that makes it special to the show.
“It’s a lot of work, and when we get to this point in any production, it’s how everyone is feeling. Especially when the finish line is right there,” Wyatt said. She said the play will stimulate your brain and make you question the world.
