Konos Academy presents “An Evening with Shakespeare,” madrigals, and Renaissance Festival on Thursday February 5, 6:00 p.m. and February 6, 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. at New Hope Baptist Church, South Campus at the corner of GA Hwy 74 and GA Hwy 85, 1563 Joel Cowen Parkway, Senoia. Each show features two abbreviated comedies and two condensed tragedies by William Shakespeare. The family fun begins with a Renaissance festival complete with games, food, and trinkets, followed by a visit to the Globe Theatre. You will be “groundlings” at the Globe as William Shakespeare himself tells you about his plays and his life.
Shakespeare is played by Andrew Lauer of Fayetteville. Shakespeare’s daughters Susanna and Judith are performed by Charis Harper (Fayetteville) and Sarah Thompson (Peachtree City). The cast includes over 90 high school students from Konos Academy of Fayetteville and Peachtree City: an accredited homeschool-hybrid education center which offers a range of academics, arts, and sports for grades 4-12.
On Thursday night, the students will present selections from “Twelfth Night”, “Macbeth”, “Julius Caesar”, and “Taming of the Shrew”. On Friday afternoon, you can see abbreviated versions of “Much Ado about Nothing”, “Julius Caesar”, “Romeo and Juliet”, and “Taming of the Shrew”. On Friday night, experience “Much Ado about Nothing”, “Macbeth”, “Romeo and Juliet”, and “Twelfth Night”. The script was adapted with original material based on the life of Shakespeare by Konos drama teacher, Dr. Dana Spears who also directs three selections. Other directors are Carole Thaxton, Joanne Lee, and Melissa Futch, with music director Meloni Thompson.
Featured actors are Christian Waltermire (Peachtree City) as Cassius and Macbeth, Jackson Harwell (Griffin) as Marc Antony and Lucentio, Sarah Futch (Peachtree City) as Kate, Savannah Lee (Fayetteville) as Lady Macbeth and Beatrice, Benjamin Spears (Fayetteville) as Benedict, Josh Villars (Griffin) as Petruchio, Brent Shultz (Sharpsburg) as Julius Caesar, Jonathan Marchman (Tyrone) as Brutus and Gremio, Nick Macaluso (Senoia) as Romeo, and Julia Pollard (Sharpsburg) as Juliet.
Also performing are Jen Juren (Fayetteville) as Portia, Sarah Matthers (Sharpsburg) as Calpurnia, Jacy McElreath (Fairburn) as Bianca, Josiah Lee (Fayetteville) as Malvolio, Ruth Thompson (McDonough) as Hero and Olivia, Rylen Hersey (Sharpsburg) as Claudio, Hannah Thompson (Peachtree City) as Baptista, Manny Wignall (Fayetteville) as Don Petro, Joel Lee (Tyrone) as McDuff and Hamlet, Lauren Maxie (College Park) as Olivia, Ben Rutt (Tyrone) as Banquo, Seth Lee (Tyrone) as Grumio, Albert Campbell (Hampton) as Leonato, Caleb Villars (Griffin) as Hortensio, and many, many more.
Elizabethan meals will be for sale, along with jewelry, swords, garlands, hats, fairy wands, and toys. Children can practice their sword fighting, play games, listen to story-tellers and strolling minstrels, have their face painted and hair braided, and take pictures in the stocks. Musicians and tumblers will perform before the show. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. for the evening shows and 1:00 p.m. for the Friday Matinee. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students in the evening, and all tickets are $6 for the matinee. You may save your seats before strolling the festival. Shows begin at 1:45 and 6:45 p.m. This is a great way to introduce children to Shakespeare, but be aware, there is murder afoot.
At Konos, drama is a required part of a rigorous liberal-arts curriculum. Students attend core classes one day a week and supplementary classes one or two days a week and complete their assignments at home with active parent involvement. Former Konos students attend and have graduated from elite colleges across the state and the nation. Two graduated Konos Shakespearean actors, Anna Kate Spears and John Thacker, currently attend the top-ranked theater program in the country at Wagner College in New York City.
For more information on Konos Academy or “An Evening with Shakespeare” you can call 770-632-0771 or go to www.konos.org.
