ThisWeek CW 02/09/2012
Canal Winchester High School students will combine music, dance, dinner and theater to bring Shakespeare’s “Comedy of Errors” to life Feb. 18 and 19.
“This is the story of twins separated at birth in a terrible accident, servants who are beaten regularly and a husband seducing his sister-in-law,” director Todd Phillips said. “All the ingredients for a great comedy!”
Phillips said this is the school’s 22nd year to host a madrigal theater event that has been performed to a sell-out crowd annually.
The show is designed to benefit the school’s performing arts department.
“Several school districts have choral dinner concerts, some do dinner theater and some do Shakespeare — but we’re really the only one that combines all of those elements,” Phillips said.
Senior Bridgett Hartfile agreed, saying the madrigal performances aren’t typical high school plays.
“There’s music and dancing and our performance and good, good food,” Hartfile said.
J.J. Haney, a junior, said even the performance space moves.
“We start out in the rotunda area, then come into the cafeteria, and after the first act is the call for food and the choir’s performance,” Haney said.
Auditions for the annual event were held in December, with rehearsals beginning in January when the students returned from holiday break. Phillips said the students work very hard to pull off the performance in just six weeks time.
“It’s so much fun watching the students start from scratch and see them develop and grow through the project,” he said. “These lines (from Shakespeare) have been around for 400 years but the students love them. I hear them using these lines in daily conversations and that usually continues throughout the year.”
This year’s cast includes Jhanae McCoy, Mac Blais, Andrew Decker, James Fraley, Bella Jimenez, J.J. Haney, Stephanie Chovan, Bridgett Hartfile, Cassi Ebright, Ashton Price, Bri LaVette, Catlin Hay, Hanna Tackett and Luke Fox.
The students all said they’re excited about the performance and the fact that the project gives them a chance to spend time with their friends.
“I’ve been in theater for a couple of years because some of my friends are in it,” said Fraley, a CWHS senior. “We do a lot of audience interaction with this performance and we’ll do a lot of acting within the crowd. It’ll be fun for the whole family.”
The performance on Saturday, Feb. 18, begins at 7 p.m. and will include a five-course meal. The Sunday matinee begins at 2 p.m. and includes a luncheon.
Tickets are $15 for Saturday and $10 for Sunday and are available at the school or by calling (614) 836-1448.