— from Barbara Bentley —
What a gift!I can’t say enough about Jake and the entire cast and staff delivered incredibly professional performance! Yeah, yeah, I know there is a tendency (at least on my part) to think that “local” might mean “cute” — but this performance at Orcas Center is clearly far beyond “cute” — they are wonderful!
Can you (grownups) imagine that “our” kids can really connect with Elizabethan life in the sixteen hundreds? Come see the performance and you’ll be amazed!
Kudos to everyone — to Jake, the cast, and all the back stage support folks!
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Thanks Barbara!! Glad you could make it.
Steve and I, too, were truly astounded at the high quality of every aspect of this production. Jake Perrine’s imaginative concept was delightfully effective. It was a brilliant way to engage teens with the story by connecting it to today’s technology and style of fantasy. The fine underlying preparation by the Val Hellar and Jake was reflected in how well the students appeared to understand the meaning within Shakespeare’s language, and in their grasp of the characters they portrayed. The play within the play about Pyramus and Thisbe came off with superb timing and welcome overacting.
Here is an excellent model of how to keep good Shakespearean theater alive through high school theater instruction at it’s best. Thank you so much to all who made it possible.
Bravo to you, Jake!!!!
It was truly a beautiful production!!
Anyone that can donate dollars to OIEF to keep the Theatre Arts Program going at the public school – Please do! We want to make sure that a plan can be created and supported to reassure that theatre arts will be part of any student’s education.
Thanks Sparks for the plug. OIEF hopes to fund the HS class next year with the uber-talented Jake Perrine again as instructor. We are ALSO hoping to add the program to the Middle School. IF you feel so inclined — you can give online at: https://oief.smalldognet.com/erp/donate/list You can make a “Note” when you donate that you’d like your gift to go the Theater program. Thanks so much!