The Mabee Teaching Theater will be doing its best Globe Theatre impression tonight and tomorrow morning.
The Actors from the London Stage will perform “Romeo and Juliet” in Mabee Theater tonight at 7 p.m. and tomorrow at 11 a.m.
“It gives a chance to see classically trained Shakespearean actors in a minimalist setting accurate to how the plays were originally performed,” said Dr. Matthew Boyleston, interim chair of the department of languages.
The five actors have been guest lecturing in classes in addition to the two performances of Shakespeare’s most famous play. The actors were scheduled to lecture in 21 classes March 9-13, teaching about theater in classes ranging from English and writing to French, history and philosophy.
Dr. Doni Wilson, associate professor in English, hosted actors in three of her classes.
“It’s great exposure to literature,” Wilson said. “I wanted the students to meet with professionals who could give insight into Shakespeare’s art.”
The company, which features actors from companies including the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre of Great Britain and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, perform Shakespeare’s plays at U.S. colleges and universities in an effort to engage students in the work of Shakespeare.
“Shakespeare’s plays are meant to be spoken out loud,” said Liz Crowther, one of the five actors in the troupe. “It’s actually simpler to understand when it is spoken out loud.”
Crowther said it is important for students to see the plays performed instead of only reading them in a classroom setting.
“The way an actor approaches the text is much different than an academic approach,” Crowther said.
Boyleston, who saw the troupe while he was an undergraduate student at Furman University, said the troupe was brought in so students could see the difference between the play being performed and read silently.
“The students have to see it on stage to understand what the play is,” Boyleston said.
The performances will help students understand the plays while the lectures allow for the students to learn from the actors in a classroom setting.
“The students have been positive and involved,” said Marshall Griffin, who plays Mercutio, Balthasar and Abraham. “The faculty has been very friendly.”
Actors from the London Stage was started 35 years ago by a professor from the University of California-Santa Barbara and British stage actors including Sir Patrick Stewart, who is known for his work as Professor Charles Xavier in the “X-Men” movies and as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard in the “Star Trek: The Next Generation” TV series.
Based out of the University of Notre Dame, the Actors from the London Stage will perform in Texas for the third time this year, following February performances at Texas A&M University and Rice University with the performance in the Mabee Theater.
Tickets for each performance will be sold at the door for $20. Students with a University ID will receive a discount.
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