November means many things to different people, including cooler temperatures, Thanksgiving, snow (if you live up north far enough), and for all the theater kids out there, fall theater productions. The Quakertown Community High School theater program, directed by Tyler Kitchenman, puts on its annual fall play every November, and this year did not disappoint. The theater department put on an outstanding performance of Shakespeare in Love last weekend, based on the 1998 film by John Madden of the same name.
The basic plot of Shakespeare in Love centers around two main characters, Will Shakespeare and Viola de Lesseps, and the story revolves around their relationship. The production begins with Will being utterly uninspired to write anything, and as the play progresses, he falls in love with the daughter of a wealthy merchant who becomes his muse. Along with a full cast and ensemble of humorous and sometimes vengeful characters, the production follows the fictional story of the playwright whose love affair prompted him to write Romeo and Juliet.
The theater program director, Mr. Kitch, offered some insight into the backstage aspects of Shakespeare in Love. Upon asking him how the concept of putting on this play came to him, he replied, “As a program director, I have the opportunity to not only pick the show that I want to direct but also to try to adhere the show to our existing student body.” He mentioned that the students in the theater program “had a knack for…young-adult stories, and I knew they were funny,” so the script of this play seemed like a good fit for the current cast.
“I would like to think [Shakespeare in Love is] challenging in different ways,” Mr. Kitch commented, “because now it’s like very informed performances and lots of memorization, and some sword fights… This is not a Shakespeare production…it’s a story about him.” The many unique aspects of the play allowed the actors to interact with the roles they embodied in a new way, due to the level of authenticity they needed to act as their characters. The large ensemble provided a solid backdrop for the main story up front with the lead actors, small stories and interactions unfolding, seemingly unnoticed until you pay close attention. These are the details that make any theater performance stand out, and many Broadway shows are ensemble-centered, including well-known productions like Hamilton and Les Misérables.
Shakespeare in Love is thought of to be a professional theater production and not typically considered for high school mostly due to length and the performance skill needed. Despite those assumptions around the play, the theater program pulled it off excellently. Shakespeare in Love was a continued step for the overall theater program after the 2023 fall play of Dracula, propelled forward off of the successfully executed performance.
The QCHS theater program is overall a unique experience to be a part of; a style of artistic expression that has many different elements combined to create a play or musical. Mr. Kitch values his role as the theater program’s director and stated, “I really like building something that gives so many students an outlet for that form of expression and a place to celebrate the arts.” Shakespeare in Love was one of many amazing productions that the theater department has put on over the decades at the high school, and they are only going to continue to advance and grow in the future.