Paly Theatre performed a one-night production of “Something Wicked This Way Comes” on Oct. 25, presenting an interactive experience that followed multiple Shakespearean plays in a single journey throughout the theater and surrounding outdoor spaces.
Junior and actor Katya Kuykendall said Paly Theatre held a similar interactive performance in 2021, and the Paly Theater directors decided to bring it back to life this year.
“Everyone was on board with this idea of interacting and showing the space and having different opportunities to show the theater and also show different Shakespeare,” Kuykendall said.
Junior Audrey Erickson said she appreciated how the performance toured the audience around, differing from traditional stage performances.
“I thought it made the show really unique,” Erickson said. “I thought that it was cool to go backstage and around outside — to get to see a show from a different perspective than you would normally.”
In an attempt to combine a variety of Shakespeare’s works into one show, freshman actor Lenox Hancock said Paly Theatre worked hard to incorporate over 50 lines from different plays including “Macbeth” and “Romeo and Juliet.”
“(We) took lines from all of these different plays and put it all together,” Hancock said. “It was incredible, and the interactive part definitely makes it more fun to do and to watch.”
Additionally, Kuykendall said the interactive aspect makes the show suitable for a diverse audience.
“Of course, our Shakespeare nerds absolutely have so much fun with this show, but also our guides — they also spoke in non-Shakespearean so everyone can have that base understanding of what’s going on,” Kuykendall said. “So it’s accessible to everyone: students, families, anyone who wants to come.”
Erickson said she recognized many of Shakespeare’s works, which made her more engaged in the plot.
“Seeing these plays that we’ve studied in school, like Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and ‘Macbeth,’ being acted by Paly students is really cool,” Erickson said. “Supporting your friends and the whole program in general is awesome.”
