Above: Nita Mukand, Michael Ross, Maggy Metnick, D’Joy Falaye, Darius Ovallus, Fatima Farias perform at Monday’s dress rehearsal.
By Michael Ross
The curtain opens, and out into the spotlight steps two actors in their iconic yellow and purple tee shirts and blue jeans. From the aisles enter three more. They preform a scene from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, to thunderous applause. Sounds like some modern broadway rendition of an English classic? Almost, but not quite. It is Providence’s own Shakespeare in the City, starring students from our very own Classical High School (including the magnificient moi) and other local schools across the city.
Shakespeare in the City is a program sponsored by Lincoln School (East Side) where high schools across Providence get together to put on one of Shakespeare’s classic pieces. The program began three years ago with the production of Hamlet, and has been a smash hit ever since. Last year’s production was Romeo and Juliet; this year it was A Midsummer Night’s Dream, preformed just last night. Some of the schools that came together for the preformance include: Classical, Mount Pleasant, Lincoln, Wheeler, Moses Brown, Nathaniel Greene, Nathan Bishop, Roger Williams Middle School, French-American Academy, Gordon, and Community Prep.
Naturally, it was Classical that stole the show. Who were the talented youths chosen to represent us? They were Michael Ross (who, in my humble and objective opinion, was the brightest star that night) as Oberon, Nita Mukand as Titania, D’Joy as Puck, Maggy Metnick as a Fairy, Darius Ovalles as Demetrius and Fatima
Farias as Helena.
I can proudly say that I have been a part of Shakespeare in the City since its inception three years ago (and I am quite likely the reason it became so popular). It has been a fantastic run, and I wish I could be back next year to carry on, but alas, myself and the other seniors gave our last curtain at the preformance last night. A big thanks to Steve Kidd for his tweaking magic!
That, dear readers, is where you come in. Though we of the original cast depart, Shakespeare in the City lives on, and it needs more talented actors from Classical to light the way to its future success! If you are interested in being a part of Shakespeare in the City next year, be sure to speak to Mrs Goff, and join our community!
