Shakespeare at the Arboretum Adds Drama to Blue-White Weekend

School of Theatre students will perform in the annual Shakespeare at the Arboretum at Penn State event Thursday and Sunday, featuring scenes from “Romeo and Juliet,” “The Merchant of Venice,” and “Othello.”

The event is the final showing for various classes in Shakespeare performance taught by Steve Snyder, head of Penn State’s B.F.A. acting program. Audience members will see students from School of Theatre programs portraying famous Shakespearian characters. Last year, the event’s theme was “Love Is In The Air.” This year, Snyder chose “Carefully Taught.”

Jessica Ortiz, a musical theatre student enrolled in Snyder’s Shakespeare acting class, is excited to perform in an outdoor setting.

“As an actor, we rely a lot on the microphones and the acoustics in the theater, but this is going to be a really cool challenge to see how my vocal training will be applied,” Ortiz said. “It’s important not to push, but to use a healthy mix while speaking in a windy setting.”

Here is the full schedule of scenes for the two performances:

Thursday, April 19, in the Overlook Pavilion:

• 6 p.m. — scenes from “Romeo and Juliet”
• 7:15 p.m. — scenes from “The Merchant of Venice”

Sunday, April 22, in the Poplar Court:

• 1:30 p.m. — scenes from “Romeo and Juliet”
• 2:45 p.m. — scenes from “The Merchant of Venice”
• 4 p.m. — scenes from “Othello”

Ortiz said audience members should expect to interact with actors during the performance.

“We break the fourth wall in almost every scene,” she said. “There’s nothing more inviting and comforting to an audience than letting them feel included.”

For more information, you can check out the event’s Facebook page here. Shakespeare at the Arboretum is free, and the performance will not interfere with any other scheduled Blue-White activities (including tailgating).