Where can you find Titus Andronicus as a cooking show, Othello as a rap song, and  Shakespeare’s histories in a football game? The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged! This fast-paced 97 minute comedy showcased three actors rotating through various roles for an authentic taste of Shakespearean style theater while delivering a hilarious, audience interactive show.

The play brings audiences on a rollercoaster, beginning with the life of William Shakespeare tangled with Adolf Hitler. Then, the actors condense Shakespeare’s 37 plays to a mix of parodies, raps, games, and dramatic readings. With only three members in its cast, each played a multitude of characters and differentiated each with props, costumes, and accents. Act 2 is devoted to Hamlet, which is performed differently three times and includes a moment for audience participation on and off stage.

The cast includes sophomore Evan Lindquist and seniors Liam Owen and Brendan Blaney. Shakespeare is Owen’s fifth theatrical performance on the St. Daniel stage. He thoroughly enjoyed working in the small cast and described his experience as “personal, dynamic, and full of community.” To prepare for his roles, his favorite being Romeo in the classic tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Owen spent time researching each of his characters and learning their motivations, running his lines by himself, and picturing each of his lines. Attempting to describe his time at St. Daniel, Owen said that it was like “Opening a Pandora’s box- in the good way.”

Brendan Blaney has been in every play at Benet Academy since his freshman year, Shakespeare being his eighth. He describes each of his performances to have “given him many new friends, tested his acting capabilities in different ways, and helped him feel more comfortable with himself.” Blaney has performed exceptionally in many genres, including the dark and serious ‘radio show’ performance of The Twisted Tales of Poe, the sweet romantic comedy of Almost, Maine, and the comedic, light-hearted Faith County. On  his Shakespeare performance, he remarked how difficult it was to “only have a month to rehearse, memorize, and perfect the most demanding show he’s ever been a part of.” Yet, he found the experience extremely rewarding.

St. Daniel department is proud to see many of its senior members graduate. It would like a moment to recognize the following people for their remarkable performances over the years:  Elisabeth Abdoo, Rebecca Bajek, Alex Bakken, Hope Bedore, Megan Black, Jenny Cunningham, Tom Edwards, Teagan Earley, Carissa Estilo, Kyle Goggio, Grace Griffin, Tim Jacklich, Sam Jaros, Madeline LeFevour, Joe McGinnis, Payton May, Bri Miller, Miranda Oates, Nick O’Connell, Griffin Quigley, Anita Paul, Emily Peck, Katy Piling, Alice Reid, Cameron Rogalski, Kate Schiliro, Clare Schuch, and Alex Valentino.

In the words of Brendan Blaney, “As cliche as it sounds, I feel like I have a second home on that stage, and I can’t wait for a new generation to find that home. I know they’ll do amazing things.”