Columbia High School Presents Shakespeare In Love Thursday

MAPLEWOOD, NJ - Columbia High School’s drama club, The Parnassian Society, has found its muse with the comedy running Nov. 15 through Nov. 18. The club is presenting the play through the Disney Theatrical Productions pilot program to produce the show based on the screenplay by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard in the CHS Black Box Theatre.

The romantic comedy closely follows the 1998 Oscar-winning film, with romance, mistaken identifies, ruthless scheming, and backstage theatrics all part of the fun as adapted for the stage by playwright Lee Hall with music by Paddy Cunneen.

Originally performed in London's West End, Columbia’s Parnassian Society has been selected to produce this piece with high school actors to help promote the work to high schools across the country, said Dr. Janet Bustrin, CHS English teacher.

The fictional play combines how The Bard may have found his muse to write Romeo & Juliet with the peculiarities of Elizabethan Era theater. Performances will be 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 15, 16 & 17; and 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18.

The CHS production features a large cast.

“Eighteen men and nine women. If you've seen the backstage area of the Black Box, we will be packing them in to dressing rooms like sardines,” Dr. Bustrin said.

The conditions, Bustrin said, leads her to one of her favorite lines from the play.

"Allow me to explain about the theater business. The natural condition is one of insurmountable obstacles on the road to imminent disaster," Bustrin said. "Strangely enough, it all turns out well. How? I don't know … It's a mystery.”

This will be the 17th season Parnassian has been produced by Bustrin and directed by Steve Stubelt. Presented with the opportunity to participate in the pilot program, “Stubelt accepted and here we are!" Bustrin said.

Tickets are $20. To purchase tickets or make reservations, call (973) 713-6866.

The ensemble cast includes:

Sam Magdanz, Jordan Muhammad, Stephen Lehren, Emma Hankey, Skyler Jones, Max Goldstein, Jasper Kransdorf, Sylvie Schuetz, Aaron Yanda, Golan Mandel, David Goetz, Kene Amobi, Cyrus Shields, Declan Rohrs, Isabella Yagid, Marcus Michaud, Noah Kariotis, Olivia Bongiorno, Lily Hawryluk, Dylan Boyd, Kermit Cohen, Merav Mandel, Nate Kianovsky, Jessica Cannin, Zaria Berry, Anthony Degourville, and Max Sundue.

(Photos courtesy of Columbia High School)

Thanks for reading! Learn more about posting announcements or events to your
local Patch site here. Have a news tip you'd like to share? Or maybe you have a press release you would like to submit or a correction you'd like to request? Send an email to russ.crespolini@patch.com

Subscribe to your local Patch newsletter by clicking here. You can also have them delivered to your phone screen by downloading our Apple iOS app here, or by visiting the Google Play store for the Android app here.