Drama Class Puts on Campo Shakes

The Campolindo Drama Department presented a series of eight minute showcases to a public audience on January 11th. The production included the condensed versions of six anecdotes including Despicable Me, Macbeth, Mean Girls, Taming of the Shrew, Kung Fu Panda 3, and Twelfth Night.

Though a seemingly random selection, each story illustrated a theme related to power struggle between opposing forces. The drama students conducted each skit on the basis of drama teacher Chris McNevin’s first semester assignment, accomplishing not only entertaining audiences with their performances, but also contributing to their class grades.

“The project focuses on working together as a group and figuring out what parts of the storyline they want to include and how they want to reduce it into the time needed.” McNevin said. “Then it’s just a lot of rehearsal.”

The project includes an opportunity for all four high school theater programs in the district to showcase their presentations at an annual Shakesfest celebration held on Del Valle’s campus on January 20th. Though different from Shakesfest, this production allowed for Campo’s community to attend free of charge.

Students were expected to reduce the storylines of certain Shakespearean plays and other parables down to no more than ten minutes in groups of five or six. Each group was allowed only four plastic chairs for sound effects and staging with costumes restricted to black clothing so as to have no distractions from the performers’ acting.

“We don’t get costumes or props so we have to use our imagination to create the experience,” said sophomore Liv Bersot.

Nominated directors created each plot with little guidance from the teacher. Students proved their self-management impressively, deliberately designing each performance with precision.

Students used their bodies or the chairs in creating sound effects. These storytelling tactics would generate suspense and drama, creating an atmosphere of attentiveness as the audience was rendered on the edge of their seats. Staging was also a key component as performers positioned themselves and their props to create an engaging aesthetic that was pleasing to the eye.

`Senior Riley Fox describes the assignment as a good opportunity to spend time with her drama classmates. “We goof around a lot and it’s a lot of fun. But we are also able to focus and get things done to be prepared for our performances,” Fox said.

The department alternated between serious and comedic acts so as to keep the audience involved.

The combination of concise storytelling, acting, staging, and the contrast between each act proved to produce a highly professional showcase of Campo’s theatrics.