All the World’s a Stage for The Owl and Nightingale Players

By Mollie B. Fenby, guest contributor

The Owl and Nightingale Players of Gettysburg College never fail to impress their viewers. For years, they have consistently brought many lively works to the Gettysburg College theatre arts scene. From their steam-punk renditions of Shakespeare, to independent festivals which allow students to showcase their theatrical talents in many different forms, The Owl and Nightingale Players move their audience every time. The small, student-run organization prides itself in encouraging students and the community at large to appreciate the value of theatre.

From late February through early March, the performers presented William Shakespeare’s As You Like It, free of charge. Directed by Susan Russell, the play took place in the Kline Theatre of Gettysburg College. The stage was set with actual saplings to replicate a sort of indoor forest, and the lighting mimicked patterns of sunlight falling through treetops.

The play consisted of singing, dancing, and acting performed by Gettysburg College students, most of whom were not new to the stage. Two of the students within the cast, Lisa Del Padre (playing Rosalind) and Wes Jackson (playing Jaques), have been honored to earn the Emile O. Schmidt Award for seniors with excellent accomplishments in theatre arts. 

John Grimsley, a junior at Gettysburg College, also gave an outstanding performance as Touchstone the fool, but it was Wes Jackson who gave the famous Shakespearian monologue beginning with “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.”