Lawrence.com

Next week, the first play of the KU Theatre Department’s 2011–2012 season, “Shakespeare in Hollywood,” premieres in the Crafton-Preyer Theatre at 7:30 p.m. The play reimagines two fairies, Oberon and Puck, characters from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The author, Ken Ludwig, conceived the story as a farce set in Hollywood circa 1934, during a film shoot directed by Max Reinhardt, a historical figure who did in fact direct an adaptation of Shakespeare’s play for legendary producer Jack Warner, one of the Warner brothers.

Julie Miller, who plays Puck, says that the mischief begins when Shakespeare’s famous fairies are cast as themselves in Max Reinhardt’s film adaptation of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

“It’s taking Oberon and Puck and placing them in the wrong wood — Hollywood,” says Miller. “So they’re the characters you might expect, but with different motivations. It’s a comedy, it’s slapstick and it’s fun. In this play, Oberon does fall in love with a mortal. And Puck, for instance, he looks at Hollywood in all of its wonder, and kind of falls into the Hollywood trap. He wants to establish a new life there.”

“It’s funny that it’s all based in fact, but there are still fictional characters, and it’s still a fictional story,” says Professor John Staniunas, chair of the theatre department, who plays Max Reinhardt.

Mechele Leon, associate professor and director of Shakespeare in Hollywood, says the play is part of the season’s “Imagining America” theme, developed as part of a university-wide initiative.

“The University of Kansas recently joined a consortium of many other universities around the country in order to explore the ways in which universities — and particularly arts and humanities — can serve the public good,” says Leon. “So when I heard that we were joining, I thought it would be a good idea to ask our faculty to propose plays that they felt spoke to that theme.”

Leon says that each play from the season looks at America in a creative way, and “Shakespeare in Hollywood” immerses the audience in the glitz and glam of the golden age of cinema. “We wanted to capture the Warner Brothers Studio,” she says. “And it’s important because it’s really the story of theatre in the movies.”

Leon says it was interesting to do “Shakespeare in Hollywood,” because KU theatre put on a production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream just last year.”

“I thought that if there was ever a time to do this play, this was it,” says Leon. “We had such a wonderful audience in our theatre last year.”

Staniunas agrees: “We thought it would be fun for people who saw “A Midsummers Night’s Dream” to see a spoof, too,” he says. “At the same time, we wanted to explore this whole 1930s screwball comedy. It’s a style piece for the students. And, as educators, we want to give them as many different opportunities — to play in as many different styles of theatre — as we can.”

Julie Miller says that students in the fast-paced production have a chance to work alongside their professors. This gives students a chance to learn from their teachers in a different, and sometimes more engaging, way.

“Professors give you advice, and they critique you in classes, but to be able to see them in action is really cool,” says Miller. “It’s just that extra boost of motivation.”

Leon says professors also enjoy the chance to connect with their students. She is only teaching a graduate seminar this semester, and as a consequence she met many new students when they joined the cast and crew of “Shakespeare in Hollywood.”

“We hope we don’t chase them away,” says Leon, laughing. “A lot of theatre departments will not allow students in the main stage production until they get to their junior year, but we allow freshmen and up. If they’re good, we cast them. We also allow non-majors.”

Leon adds that as director she sought to bring some of her own expertise to this specific production.

“When I approached this, I was brining a couple of things that relate to my research. My area of specialty is work on the French playwright Molière. I think he’s the greatest comic playwright to ever live. In a way, I feel like it’s a bridge for me. I’m bringing some of my knowledge of comedy through Molière to an American author.”

Leon says the success of the final play will depend on many dedicated volunteers, from artists and costume designers to actors and crewmembers that make everything behind-the-scenes function smoothly.

“It’s fast-paced,” says Ryan Lueders, who works backstage. “There are a lot of quick changes in this show. Some times we only have two pages of dialogue to switch a cast member from a tuxedo into a full, three-piece suit.”

“It gives you an appreciation for the tech process as an actor — to respect the people, because you’re one big family,” Lueders adds.

For those interested in attending Shakespeare in Hollywood, the play runs October 13-16 in the Crafton-Preyer Theatre at KU. Tickets are $10 for students and $18 for the general public.