We've all read Shakespeare, though I spent most of my high school literature class lost in the Shakespearean language. However, Shakespeare does offer universal themes that are open to interpretation. In a departure from the Master of Fine Arts' traditional productions, Laura Jo Trexler MFA '14 presented her own original one-woman musical romp, Play On!, that reimagines Shakespearean heroines.

The performance, which was staged in Spingold Theater Center's Merrick Theater this past weekend, consisted of eight vignettes-each focusing on a different woman-as well as a concluding song. What's interesting about Play On! is that it wasn't a formal performance, but actually a performance-style workshop for Trexler. Following the show, Trexler also welcomed feedback and suggestions during a talkback.

The musical opened with a song called "I Shouldn't Look at You," which was based on Romeo and Juliet. For all the characters, Trexler combined the traditional Shakespearean text with inspired songs that she wrote herself in order to create a more accessible and modern story. In the case of Juliet, Trexler acted out the idealized character of a young girl in love, and even compared this song to a Taylor Swift-style pop song. The delicate love song was a perfect way to slowly introduce the audience to Trexler's innovative musical, and each following set further displayed her talent and range as a performer.

Other characters included Olivia and Viola from Twelfth Night, Gertrude from Hamlet, Rosalind from As You Like It and Lady Macbeth. Trexler explained in the talkback that she chose the women based on the characters with whom she personally felt a connection. My favorite song was in the character of Adrianna from Comedy of Errors, as she sang "Master of My State" with a dramatic country-style flair-something you would never connect with Shakespeare. After finding out her husband cheated on her, Adrianna drinks away the pain, but the alcohol actually serves to empower her over the course of the song.

Trexler also broke through the fourth wall when she sat down right next to an audience member, asking if he had a tissue. For me, this song achieved the strongest character development, and, even though I've never seen Comedy of Errors, I completely understood the character because her reaction was so relatable.

The most shocking song was Lady Macbeth's "Leave all the Rest to Me" that offered a chilling end to the sequence. The song was completely different than all the preceding songs and Trexler delivered her monologue seated with a spotlight only on her face. Her voice was almost demonic and to me, it seemed like the monologue represented Lady Macbeth's racing thoughts. In the talkback, Trexler explained that she drew inspiration for this piece from Samuel Beckett's short monologue "Not I" that only shows a close up of the actor's mouth as the monologue is delivered.

The last song, also titled "Play On!," emphasized the importance and meaning of music in all aspects of life. It also included references to famous Shakespeare lines like "all the world is a stage" and "he loves me, he loves me not." At one point, Trexler repeated "I'll whisper music to your weary spirit" as the audience clapped along. To me, these words connect the original stories of the eight heroines with Trexler's original music, as if she is giving life to the Shakespearean characters.

Trexler's interactions with the piano are also very interesting; one moment she is playing a somber song and the next she is climbing on top of it while portraying the alluring Olivia of Twelfth Night.

During the talkback, Trexler discussed her relationship with the piano, explaining that co-director Prof. Mary Lowry (THA) helped her find balance in using the piano during the show. For example, Lowry took away the piano part of Juliet's song because the meaning was so simple and didn't require it because Juliet was like a young, innocent girl in love.
Though Trexler does make the musical accessible to anyone, it does help to have background knowledge of the original Shakespearean plays because you see how truly innovative Trexler's creative process was. The idea for the musical began with her writing one song for a production of Hamlet and evolved into an impressive display of Shakespeare's female characters.

And the creative process still continues-during the talkback, one audience member suggested changing around the transition between the last scene and the final song. Trexler decided right then to use that idea for the next performance. I left the tiny theater completely surprised at the workshop performance I had just seen and a new appreciation for Shakespeare, whose work seems endlessly adaptable.
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