Three West Windsor-Plainsboro students participated in McCarter Theater’s Summer Shakespeare program for high school students and performed in “Pericles” on the Matthews stage of McCarter Theater, August 8 through 10. The intensive four-week program with a focus on classical dramatic training also featured classes in acting, improvisation, combat, movement, Shakespeare studies, and stagecraft. Participating high school students included Andrew James Gordon, Ned Ianacone, and Liz Jerome of West Windsor.##M:[more]##
“The Summer Shakespeare Program is a transformative experience for serious theater students who wish to explore the craft of acting in an immersive environment,” says Christopher Parks, McCarter’s education director. “The young actors we have this year have invested themselves in the pursuit of this goal and have formed a wonderful bond of camaraderie and support for one another.”
Jerome, a rising freshman at Boston University, is a graduate of High School South. She played the male role of Helicanus, Pericles’ right hand man. “He is really cool to play because he is by far one of the most loyal and steadfast characters in the play, while also dealing with a hefty amount of adversity from the people of his homeland.”
“This program helped me get a better handle on how to approach Shakespeare from an acting point of view, and also how to be the best actor I can possibly be,” she says. “I feel that it has helped me mature as an actor, and it is a really worthwhile experience for any high schooler.”
At South she appeared in “The Importance of Being Ernest,” “Arsenic and Old Lace,” and “Blithe Spirit.” She has also been in productions of “Annie,” “The Music Man,” “The Little Mermaid,” and “Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat” in Acting Manitou Theater Camp.
After taking a comedy acting class and a Shakespearian acting class through McCarter’s First Stage program, she landed a role as crew member for two years. Parks asked her to audition. “I have always had a love for Shakespeare so it seemed like a great way to spend the summer,” she says.
Gordon, a rising junior at High School North, will attend Mercer County Performing Arts High School. He played Antiochus, King of Antioch. “He is not a fun guy,” says Gordon. “What makes this character unique is his incestuous relationship with his daughter, and how he tries to hide it.” This marks the third time he has played an evil monarch at McCarter.
A long time fan of Shakespeare, Gordon has even written to Kenneth Branagh and Derek Jacobi for acting advice. “The encouraging letters from such prominent Shakespearian actors is what made me want to do Pericles,” he says. Gordon, who has studied with McCarter’s education program in the past, played the title role in “Hamlet” in the spring.
“Playing the villain is much better than playing the hero because the hero always has to be good and virtuous,” says Gordon. “However, the villain gets the opportunity to decide how to present himself. He could be completely insane, morally lacking, or two-faced. It seems to me, in plays, bad people have more fun.”
Ianocone is a rising sophomore at Collier High School. He plays the role of King Simonides, one of the few uplifting characters in the show. “He’s having a good time receiving and considering suitors for his daughter’s hand,” says Ianocone.
He became interested in acting several years ago at Camp Mason, and has since participated in every production at his high school, including leading roles as Don Quixote, Icabad Crane, and Jack, the Pumpkin King in “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”
He chose McCarter because “the theater is right here in my backyard and the teachers are excellent.”
