Even if the play’s the thing, the playwright hardly must be a daunting thing.
Therein lies the wisdom of the local Mill Race Theater company, a troupe that has performed enough William Shakespeare in the past half century to assure audiences of this one thing its members know as well as their Elizabethan English: The Bard is not necessarily hard.
At least that can be true when his works unfold on a stage rather than just in a dry, scholastic classroom. In fact, the company will make the case that even the youngest minds can grasp elements of the master writer when it presents the free 45-minute comic show “The Magical Mind of Billy Shakespeare” at the Columbus Area Arts Council’s First Fridays For Families series at 6 p.m. Jan. 4 at The Commons.
The downtown Columbus shows have been among the most popular offerings for youngsters for nearly 30 years, featuring everything from puppets to musicians to comics to jugglers. The shows are meant to be entertaining, for sure. But they also usually contain tidbits of learning or life wisdom for little ones with a big curiosity.
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“The Magical Mind of Billy Shakespeare,” a relatively new work from Colorado-based writer Kevin Rich, carries on that tradition by including elements of Shakespearean terminology in the modern vernacular: Too much of a good thing. Foul play. All Greek to me.
“This teaches kids early on that Shakespeare’s writings are not a scary thing,” said Mill Race actress Alycyn Pratt, who, like many, had to wait until high school to learn that.
In the show, Pratt plays Peter Quince, the director of the play within the Shakespearean play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” That’s because this production highlights excerpts from three of Shakespeare’s works, including the aforementioned piece.
“The funny thing about my part is that my character is annoyed and sort of jealous of Shakespeare,” Pratt said.
The drama presents Shakespeare as a young man not yet known to the outside world, and one toying with a writer’s dreams and visions. Director Caitlin Smith mentioned that there’s enough references to the legendary 17th century writer’s broad impact that parents and grandparents of youngsters will glean plenty.
“A lot of people don’t fully realize how many of their favorite movies are based upon Shakespeare’s plays,” Smith said, referencing films ranging from “The Lion King” (“Hamlet”) to “10 Things I Hate About You” (“The Taming of the Shrew”). “He wrote about so many universal concepts.”
The troupe will keep its younger audience’s attention at the show by probably pulling a few onlookers onto the stage to help with the presentation. But Smith believes children are smart enough to focus on the material, which includes some physical comedy.
“I think maybe we underestimate younger students,” she said.
Actor Nick Hogan, who plays the title role, has played in at least three area Shakespearean productions: “Much Ado About Nothing,” “The Merry Wives of Windsor” and “Twelfth Night.”
“To understand Shakespeare is to understand much of our modern media,” Hogan said, referring to the Shakespearean terminology commonly used today. “And you also can begin to recognize Shakespearean themes in other things.”
The writer’s impact throughout society 400 years after his death is fairly staggering, according to Hogan.
“There’s a reason in college why they label theater a humanities class,” Hogan said.
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What: The Mill Race Theater Company presents the comedy "The Magical Mind of Billy Shakespeare," a one-hour show targeted especially to youngsters. Part of the Columbus Area Arts Council’s First Fridays For Families series.
When: 6 p.m. Jan. 4.
Where: The Commons, 300 Washington St. in downtown Columbus.
Admission Free. Old National Bank sponsors the series.
Information: artsincolumbus.org.
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