Taylor Shimamoto/BRCurrent.com
This past Memorial Day weekend, Bruins traveled all the way to Oregon and peeked behind the curtains into a different time. The school trip allowed students in Honors Drama and the English Cultural Enrichment Club to experience Oregon’s Shakespeare Festival in Ashland over the long-weekend. It was led by teachers and supervisors, Kristina Stroeve, Sara Noah, Toby Barmeyer, and Steve Hansen.
English and drama teacher, Sara Noah has been taking students to Ashland since 2008, when she taught at Bella Vista High School, though she first attended the Shakespeare Festival when she was in junior high school. “This is my second year taking Bear River students,” Noah explains. “We were going to take a trip in 2020, but had to cancel it.”
While Noah and English teacher, Kristina Stroeve, have been leading the trip for a few years, it was English teacher, Toby Barmeyer’s, first year going on the trip. “This was actually my first time visiting Ashland with students and experiencing the plays there, and I must say, I absolutely loved the adventure! The plays were so well done, and the quality of the productions really impressed me.” Barmeyer then said she could ‘definitely’ see herself returning to Oregon’s Shakespeare Festival for years to come.
From the moment students arrived in Ashland, the town was setting the stage for the main event: their festival. Ashland has been hosting their annual Shakespeare Festival for ninety years now. It originally got its start in 1935 and has become one of the most well-known, prestigious Shakespeare festivals in the United States. It typically lasts six months.
Within a few hours of arriving, the Bruins attended a production of Shakespeare’s As You Like It, which is presumed to have been written in 1599. The story had been reimagined and made slightly dystopian. Students followed the protagonist, Rosalind, who is trapped in a black-and-white society reminiscent of The Hunger Games. The plot revolved around wrestlers, bards, and fairy gardens, with musical numbers that many students enjoyed. However, sophomore Reanne Meszaros and many other students felt the play was a bit too long.
“The story was interesting, and the acting was really solid,” Meszaros said. “Same with lighting, sound, and everything – I just lost track of the story.”
Students then attended Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, with its whopping three-hour run-time and two intermissions. The story was a banter-filled comedy, silently criticizing high society at the time, and centered around a singular, but crucial misunderstanding: a man pretending his name is Earnest.
Freshman Callie Roberts praised the show for being ‘surprisingly witty’. “I didn’t realize how sarcastic it would be! It was a little surprising – I didn’t realize people had that [sense of humor] in that time.” She also admired the lead, Hao Feng’s acting skills as Algernon, a cocky, presumptuous man of High Society.
However, many students agreed the best play had been saved for last, with the modern-day retelling of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The play was centered around a young Black, queer man growing up and into his own skin. With spontaneous karaoke numbers, wild dancing, and monologues sprinkled with Gen Z humor, Fat Ham was the favorite of most students in attendance. Junior Viviana Velasquez had nothing but good things to say about the final show.
“The best was definitely saved for last,” She said. “This play was unexpectedly hilarious; I walked out of the Thomas Theatre feeling like a completely different person.”
Aside from attending the theater, students also got the chance to adventure around Ashland, where all throughout the town, memorabilia and merchandise of Shakespeare’s most famous works could be found. From the buttery, flaky croissants of ‘The Mix’ to the garden and park where students spent hours wandering aimlessly, there was something for everyone. And for anyone who loves theater, it was an especially enjoyable trip.
Velasquez summed up the trip well: “I never thought plays could have such a meaningful impact on my life,” She explained, saying she was only planning on taking the trip as a weekend getaway. “Even though it was only a weekend, it was full of funny moments and amazing bonds. I have absolutely no regrets.”
But, like all Shakespeare’s plays, there is some sadness to it, as this was Stroeve and Noah’s last time making the trip up to Oregon. They will both be retiring at the end of this school year.
When asked about plans after retirement, Noah replied, “This is my ninth year at Bear River. I’m going to travel more, do more directing and acting, and be able to spend more time with my children and grandchildren, and dreamy husband.”
One of Shakespeare’s most famous lines comes from As You Like It: “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances.” And now, Noah and Stroeve make theirs.