On March 6, the Wilsonville theater department hosted a matinee performance of The Tempest, a Shakespeare drama, for local middle school students. This play was especially memorable, as the middle schoolers had the opportunity to witness a potential future of acting in high school.
Nikolai Kurashov, a junior and avid member of the theater department, recently took the stage as Sebastion, a cunning character filled with mischief and deception, playing a key role in The Tempest. He revisited his appreciation toward the theater club, as it has reminded him that things don’t always go as expected and he has come to the “realization that something bad will happen… and you can’t control it.”
Kurashov recounted performing for the middle schoolers, saying, “Honestly, there’s no difference between [performing for] middle schoolers and high schoolers, except for middle schoolers who don’t understand some jokes from the play,” due to the complex nature of the dialogue.
Aside from the initial performance, Kurashov believes the intention behind showcasing the play to currently enrolled middle schoolers, is to encourage those who are curious of the organization, and its generally “good for inspiration.”
Junior Kate Thomas, who played Gonzalo in The Tempest, had a positive performing experience, explaining that “the middle schoolers were very attentive… and the show went really well.” Despite their excellent attention span, Thomas described that it was hard to decipher the middle schoolers’ level of understanding since Shakespeare comprises intricate English phrases from the 15th century.
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. In American literature, Shakespeare is often regarded as one of the best dramatists of all time, with writings that include Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and many more, including The Tempest.
As a stage-hand for The Tempest, junior Molly Foster emphasized Shakespeare’s work and his importance to contemporary dramas. “Theater got its kick from Shakespeare… and it brings theater enthusiasts. It [even brings] people new to [drama] back to the roots and origins of the art.”
Foster went on to describe the impact of Shakespeare as an individual, conveying that she became a “whole new person” after starting to understand Shakespearean literature. Putting on a play is more than religiously reading lines and constructing props; in most cases, it becomes a cathartic experience for those who participate.
The Wilsonville drama program’s intent behind showing The Tempest to middle schoolers is to show students, through Shakespearean English, that they have a community to fuel their passions. Kate Thomas elucidated, “Everyone is really accepting and we always love to get new people… [and] you won’t regret [auditioning] for shows!”