When the Rude Mechanicals stage a show, they go beyond convention and have a “hell” of a good time doing it.
In fact, the AU theater troupe’s upcoming variety show, “Shakespeare’s Seven Deadly Sins,” quite literally takes place in hell. But from the moment that the two narrators, Dante (Robin Wivell) and the Bard himself (Luke Theuma), make their way onstage, it is clear that the fire in the room is coming from the passionate performances of the actors themselves.
Every summer, the Rude Mechanicals vote on variety show ideas submitted by members of the troupe. Last year the focus was placed on Shakespearean insults, and this year the cast and crew chose to combine the worlds of two literary masters.
“Shakespeare is the kind of author who didn’t just stick to one book or genre,” said Sakari Ishetiar, the Rude Mechanicals’ artistic director and a junior in the School of International Service. “He tried to fill the library in his own way.”
Finding individual scenes in such an extensive body of work was no easy task, but the Rude Mechanicals successfully found seven segments that represent each of Dante’s deadly sins. The backstory of this year’s show is that Dante and Shakespeare, both trapped in the underworld, have established a wager: Dante bets that Shakespeare won’t be able to find examples of the sins in his works, a challenge that the author gleefully accepts.
From there, the action shifts to a variety of settings and time periods. Each scene has its own student director and unique cast, and the interpretations cover a broad range of designs and thematic subjects.
“With every scene, we pick a central theme we want to bring out,” Ishetiar notes. “Maybe that’s feminism, gender roles or classism. Could be anything. Then we pick a time period that we think shows that really well.”
In the “Greed” segment, audiences are whisked to a dinner party to witness a modernized sequence from “Timon of Athens.” The “Gluttony” sequence depicts three punk-rock aficionados as they plan a grand heist, and the “Wrath” sequence contains material from “Hamlet” but with the genders of the lead characters swapped.
When audiences depart from the theater, they will leave with a new understanding of how Shakespeare’s works continue to resonate. The personal touch that the Rude Mechanicals place on each scene is evident, as is the energy and excitement with which the troupe jumps into the world of the plays.
Elena Karmazin, the Rudes’ executive director and a junior in College of Arts and Sciences, hopes that the show, and all of the Rude Mechanicals’ future productions, will leave viewers “engaged, informed and entertained.” If the rest of the season continues to shed such effective new light on Shakespeare’s plays, viewers will be in for a fall and spring of creative, thought-provoking treats that would make the Bard very proud indeed.
“Shakespeare’s Seven Deadly Sins” will run from Oct. 2-4 starting at 8 p.m. in the SIS Founders Room. Tickets are $7.
Scenes in the show:
Artistic Director: Sakari Ishetiar
Stage Manager: Jen Rankin
“Measure for Measure/Lust”
Directed by Sammi LeMaster
Featuring Michael Bible (Claudio) and Callie Trawick (Isabella)
“Henry IV, Part I/Gluttony”
Directed by Mahlia Fulk
Featuring Chris Hard (Prince Hal), Perry Scalfano (Falstaff), and Andrea Lin (Nell Poins)
“Antony and Cleopatra/Envy”
Directed by Francesca Cromartie
Featuring Ella Beaudoin (Cleopatra), Adina Marx (Chairman), and Brandon Seehoffer (Messenger)
“Timon of Athens/Greed”
Directed by Mahlia Fulk
Featuring Peter Mikhail (Timon), Killian MacDonald (First Lord), Maddie Ehlers (Second Lord), and Tristan Salvon-Harman (Third Lord)
“Hamlet/Wrath”
Directed by Sarah Voelker
Featuring Emily Whitworth (Hamlet), Dylan Stuntz (Gertrude), Lily McGee (Polonius), and Paige Overton (Ghost)
“Hamlet/Sloth”
Directed by Sammi LeMaster
Featuring Aaron Marks (Hamlet), Joe Anderson (Polonius), and Michelle Mactas (First Player)
“Henry IV, Part II/Pride”
Directed by Ryan Mays
Featuring Julio Meyer (Prince Hal), William Leonard (Falstaff), Emily Schwartz (Mistress Quickly), Erica Pierce (Nell Poins), and Allison Samsel (Doll Tearsheet)
“Masters of Ceremony”
Written by Sakari Ishetiar
Luke Theuma (Shakespeare) and Robin Wivell (Dante)
