Woodlands Academy to present unique Shakespeare musical

In addition to her starring role in Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart's production of William Shakespeare's "As You Like It," sophomore Katelynn Soto of Chicago is helping compose some of the original music that will be featured.

The show will be staged at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 5; Friday, March 6; and Saturday, March 7, at the all-girls college prep high school, 760 E. Westleigh Road, Lake Forest.

"Katelynn wrote the ukulele chords for one song and I created a melody for her to sing with another student using Shakespeare's lyrics," Woodlands Academy Theatre Director Sarah Grunnah said.

Soto will be seen onstage portraying the play's heroine, Rosalind, who disguises herself as the male page Ganymede in order to woo the play's male lead, Orlando.

Grunnah's adaptation of one of Shakespeare's later plays will feature about a half-dozen songs with melodies she has composed along with Heather Bordley-Harvell, a voice teacher at the school.

"I chose 'As You Like It' because of the challenges it presents for our students. The roles are more complex than those in some of Shakespeare's earlier works," said Grunnah, who also teaches English at Woodlands Academy.

"It also addresses issues that today's students can identify with, such as forging one's identity and relationships with others."

This is not a traditional musical presentation since there will be no pit orchestra. The singers and instrumentalists are all seen onstage as part of the action. Grunnah is staging this production in the school's dining room in a thrust stage setup, rather than the more traditional theatrical setting of Woodlands' performing arts center, to provide the audience a more dynamic experience, one which is more similar to what Shakespeare's original audiences would have experienced.

Grunnah further notes that the sets for this production have been designed and created by Fine Arts Department Chairman Catherine DeVuono with the help of art students at the school, making it another truly collaborative effort showcasing a variety of student talent.

Tickets for the Woodlands Academy production are $8 in advance, $10 at the door. To purchase tickets or for details, visit www.woodlandsacademy.org or call (847) 234-4300. Seating is limited, so reserving tickets early is recommended.

• To submit Your news with one photo, go to dailyherald.com/share. To submit Your news with multiple photos, send it to nbrcalender@dailyherald.com.