Published: 5/10/2022 7:08:07 PM
Modified: 5/10/2022 7:06:28 PM
GREENFIELD — The students of Four Rivers Charter Public School are bringing to the stage the story of two brothers who set out to write the world’s first musical.
Director Leah Plath described “Something Rotten!” as a “mishmash of Renaissance Shakespearean theater and modern-day Broadway.” The play opens Thursday evening at Peskeomskut Park in Turners Falls.
“It’s a comedy that really combines history with a lot of modern jokes and modern theater references,” Plath said.
Set in the 1590s, the show centers on Nick and Nigel Bottom, two playwrights trying to write a hit, while stuck in the shadow of William Shakespeare, according to a Four Rivers press release. Nick ultimately makes a deal with a fortune teller to discover the future of theater involves singing, dancing and acting all at the same time. With that in mind, the brothers set out to write the first musical.
Plath, who is also an English teacher at Four Rivers, said “Something Rotten!” was chosen in part because it required a minimal set, while still having a “strong ensemble with lots of fun roles.”
“This is a fairly new show,” she added. “It only came to public licensing a few years ago. We really liked the jokes and the subtle nerdiness.”
The cast is made up of 23 students in seventh through 12th grade, with additional students on stage crew.
“We have a pit band made up of a couple of students and community members,” Plath said.
Plath said the school has been fortunate to do a show every year since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year’s show was also held outdoors, she said.
“I had to make the call back in October about whether we would keep our originally scheduled date at the (Shea Theater Arts Center) in March,” Plath recalled. “And because the pandemic has been so unpredictable and because as a musical it would require a lot of students singing in one space, I decided to err on the side of caution and plan an outdoor show.”
Although she said Peskeompskut Park is a great venue, logistically, it poses challenges, namely that the group can’t leave any of the set or props behind. Still, she said, “the students have been good sports about it.”
The show will be performed Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. Tickets are now available at Four Rivers and online at bit.ly/FRDrama22. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door, and children under 5 are admitted for free.
“It’s a great show,” Plath said. “It’s a lot of good fun and a rousing musical.”
Reporter Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne