Local kids perform Shakespeare in nonprofit theater program
Josie Mariola, one of the young local actors involved in Wooster Youth Shakespeare, checks out the stage at the Ohio Theatre in preparation for the upcoming production of “Much Ado About Nothing.”
There’s much ado about something, and that something is Wooster Youth Shakespeare’s upcoming production of “Much Ado About Nothing.”
“Much Ado About Nothing” will be performed at Wayne Center for the Arts, 237 S. Walnut St., Wooster, on Feb. 8 and 9 at 7 p.m. and at the Ohio Theatre, 156 N. Water St., Loudonville, on Feb. 22 and 23 at 1:30 p.m.
Wooster Youth Shakespeare — known as WooShakes — is a community arts theater education program where kids age 9-19 learn about famed English playwright and poet William Shakespeare by acting in his full-length plays. The nonprofit was launched in 2019.
Mary Jackson-Smith, the founding director, said the young actors rehearse for hundreds of hours, delving deep into the nuance of the language. The performers work with the original Shakespeare rather than youth or school adaptations.
“The original language is so rich, so specific and so eloquent,” Jackson-Smith said. “Once kids get the hang of it, they dive in.”
Kids do not audition; they enroll, and every child is given a significant role.
“We welcome actors from a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds, abilities and experience levels,” Jackson-Smith said.
WooShakes generally produces two shows each year and has performed in several different Wooster venues.
“WooShakes brings together kids from all over, all different ages, and gives us the chance to interact with people we never would have originally,” said Katie Snider, 16, acting in her sixth show.
“Much Ado About Nothing” is 12-year-old Namu Yang’s third show.
“While rehearsing for a play, everyone comes closer, almost like a family,” Yang said.
The youth theater group recently received a grant from the Wayne County Community Foundation to promote and underwrite their scholarship program for a year.
“We are so grateful to WCCF for their support and to numerous donors both private and corporate who have backed us since the beginning,” Jackson-Smith said. “It is very important that our program remains accessible to any interested child, regardless of their family’s economic circumstances.”
Jackson-Smith said “Much Ado About Nothing” is one of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies.
“It’s a hilarious and sometimes poignant tale of love, miscommunication and pranks gone wrong,” she said. “Filled with memorable characters and plenty of silliness, this play is easy for new actors and new audiences to understand but still deep enough to keep the interest of our teen actors over months of rehearsals.”
There are 23 actors in “Much Ado,” ranging in age from 9-17. They attend seven different area schools. There are two casts, one for Saturday performances and one for Sundays. When not performing, the cast members help backstage.
Lenka Robinson, 11, is in her first production with the company. “You should see live Shakespeare because you can feel the emotion coming from all the actors,” she said.
Also in her first show, Sharlet Adams, 17, sees the experience of her veteran cast mates.
“Some of the kids have been in many, many plays, and their experience shows through their acting,” she said.
Another first-time actor, Josephine Mariola, 10, said, “This is my first time doing WooShakes and my first time on stage. I like acting and being a different person with a different personality.”
“Shakespeare isn’t just a lot of plays that were written a long time ago about people of the past; it’s the story of life,” said Maru Yang, 14, in her third show. “It bridges the gap between the past, present and future by sharing our humanity.”
Ready to perform in a fifth WooShakes show, Liberty Robbins, 14, said, “Shakespeare shouldn’t just be read like you would in a high school English class. It’s so much more understandable and enjoyable when it is seen. And every performance, even done by the same company, is unique.”
Jackson-Smith said, “These kids sink into their roles with the immense imaginations and open hearts only children can bring. They perform with exuberance. At the end they are left with the knowledge that, using their own minds, voices and bodies, they have succeeded at something most adults would be afraid even to try.”
Tickets for the upcoming performances of “Much Ado About Nothing” are $10 and are available online at www.wooshakes.org. Seating is limited, but tickets may be available at the door.
“We don’t really need volunteers, but we do need funds, and most of all we need an audience,” Jackson-Smith said. “Please come see the show.”
Find Wooster Youth Shakespeare online at www.wooshakes.org. Interested actors are invited to reach out via the website or email wooshakes@gmail.com.