In “The Desperate Housewives of Shakespeare

In “The Desperate Housewives of Shakespeare

WEEKEND: Chimacum show starting tonight combines Shakespearean women with ‘Desperate’ TV show

Today and tonight signify Friday, May 2.

CHIMACUM — Six of the Bard’s leading ladies — Kate the shrew, Juliet, Rosalind, Lady Macbeth, Titania and Cleopatra — are about to get together for a tragicomic time.

Seven times, that is, as the Chimacum High School Drama Club presents “The Desperate Housewives of Shakespeare” for a four-weekend run.

The venue is Chimacum High’s auditorium, 91 West Valley Road, with curtain times at 7 p.m. tonight and Saturday and on May 9, 15, 16, 23 and 24.

This is “a spin-off of Shakespeare’s works and the ridiculous TV drama,” said director Ellie Spitzbart, referring to that old sit-com “Desperate Housewives.”

The show, written by Jane and Jim Jeffries, sideswipes the classics from “Romeo and Juliet” to “As You Like It,” with modern English and pop culture.

The sets, Spitzbart added, are cleverly designed by the students, while the costumes are traditional.

She didn’t want to give away the plot, but “a lot of the play includes the audience. We’re playing to them, including them in our tale,” which is suitable for adults and youngsters.

Tickets are $5 for adults and teens, while children age 12 and younger will be admitted free.

For those who want to come back more than once, a show pass is $10.

The “Desperate” cast features senior Miranda Apling as Lady Macbeth; freshman Cassius Jennings as her Lord Macbeth; Lisa-Kay Reidt as Duncan; junior Alisha Bruner as Cleopatra; junior Rian Plastow as Katherine from “The Taming of the Shrew;” senior Katrina Smolinsky as Titania from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream;” senior Neena Milton as Rosalind; Nicola Pieper as Juliet and senior Jarrith McCoy as William Shakespeare himself.

“The characters,” Spitzbart said, “will surely warm your heart.”

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