Kids Inspire Their Own Shakespeare Show

When ADK Shakes set up shop in Schroon Lake last year, the company was amazed by the number of kids that were turning up at their performances. Kids as young as four were "mesmerized" by the performances, recalled Tara Bradway, the show’s Artistic Director.

"They were wrapped. The kids got it. They are a lot smarter than a lot of adults give them credit for in understanding Shakespeare."

That experience led to a special commission of an adapted Shakespeare work just for kids, "Theseus And The Minotaur", two of the characters from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. True to their roots, the performance Wednesday will be in “raw” form, where the focus is on the words --- not the sets or costumes. Says Tara:

The play encourages children to use their imaginations -- which they are so wonderful at doing. We are using simple props -- a ship is made from two dowels and a swath of fabric. The same fabric is used to veil the Minotaur. The actors employ considerable energy in order to bring the story to life, but it's really the children who provide that final step of creating the play.

Tara says adults will enjoy the show just as much as the kids, and actor Celeste Moratti gives this heads up:  “Listen closely for the David Bowie reference. That one is just for the grown ups.”And if you haven’t seen an ADK Shakes show, did we mention how much fun you’ll have?  "This is in my top-ten favorite stories about bulls", says Bennett Fisher. "In all seriousness, this is such a fun play for kids. They're going to have a great time!"

"Kids are so much better with Shakespeare's language than we give them credit fo," Tara says. I challenge the parents to bring their children to our full production -- not only will your children understand the play, but they'll be able to explain it to you!”

11 am The Boathouse. Wednesday, July 27. $5. The show runs about an hour