Max Yera co-editor-in-chief
The Theater Arts Workshop (TAW) concluded their first production of the year this past Saturday with the final performance of “Pericles.”
The show was a Star Trek adaptation of the Shakespearean play, a combination which created a notably unique experience for both actors and audiences.
“‘Pericles’ was certainly a unique choice for a play, and so it was inherently different from past shows at Beverly,” senior Owen Lloyd, who starred as Antiochus and Simonides, said. “Though I’m not typically one for modern adaptations of Shakespeare, I have to give the Star Trek twist credit for being more experimental than past productions at the school.”
The play was also the first production by TAW’s new director, Karen (Kaz) Chandler.
“I love Kaz. She’s understanding and caring, and has really taken over the theatre department with her charisma and kindness,” junior Daniel Kohanbash, who played Helicanus, said. “She genuinely cares about the success and well being of this program, and that is what’s going to make our department successful in the future.”
The chemistry among cast members was a notable bright spot, particularly between seniors Owen Lloyd and Nicole Neighbors.
“Nicole [Neighbors] played my incestrual daughter, and she happens to be my girlfriend, so we were able to employ some method acting,” Lloyd said.
The acting by junior duo Solomon Margo, who starred as Pericles, and Daniel Kohanbash was also exemplary, and both contribute their success in part to the contributions of their new director.
“Kaz goes beneath the surface level of acting, so to speak, something I never really had the opportunity of doing thus far,” Margo said. “I saw improvement in myself, being able to tackle a large amount of lines, and I’ve seen so much growth already in my peers as they become more comfortable with one another and start to explore below the surface level of acting.”
To some disappointment, there was not great variation in terms of sets, but that was offset by this impressive, “beneath the surface” style of acting.
Beyond the performance value or chemistry between actors, “Pericles” should be praised for its unique method of using adventurous space themes from Star Trek in order to tell a Shakespearean drama.
“I definitely admire the creativeness and risk-taking that was incorporated into this play,” senior Nicole Neighbors, who played both Dionyza and Hesperides, said. “Whether or not we pulled it off is up to individual opinion, but it was a unique experience that I was glad to have regardless.”
The play was filmed and can be viewed here.