This truly has been one of the most exhausting and fulfilling weeks of this semester for me. TheaterCNU opened the production of “Pericles, Prince of Tyre,” which I am in. We have been working on this show for months now and we couldn’t have been more excited to bring it to an audience. The process of creating a show is one that takes a while, but is extremely worth it.
Now, this play by William Shakespeare already comes with certain challenges when it comes to the language. Then, when you add Afro-Caribbean dance and music to it, it becomes a party. I don’t think anyone in the cast was prepared for what this show actually would entail, but I know we are all extremely proud and happy with the result.
This show is being done in the round, which means that the actors are in the center while the audience is all around us. Being in the studio theatre, it is a very intimate show. The audience is right there beside the actors and can really feel like they are a part of the show. The audience can even choose to sit on a cushion and be up close and personal to the actors.
This production is a very actor-driven show, so all we have is a wedge that gets used differently in each scene. Since this is a big ensemble production where we all play several characters, we get amazing costume pieces that help suggest when we become someone else. Also, all the sound effects made in the show are done by the actors.
Working on this show has been so incredible. This has been my first production here at CNU, and I could not have asked for a better show on which to work. It’s been a labor of love, patience and more love, and we had an amazing director, Professor Denise Gillman, leading the entire thing. Without her, none of this would be what it is.
If you are saying to yourself, “I missed the opening weekend!” don’t worry! We have another weekend of performances: November 21 and 22 at 8 p.m. and the 23 at 2 p.m. We can’t wait for you to see it!
