Whatever happened to ? ... This page was created by students at Sleeping Beauty’s St. John Neumann WILLIAMSPORT SUN-GAZETTE Regional Academy Side of the Story Monday, November 10, 2008 Page B-8 Sixth-grade students from St. John Neumann Regional Acade- my were recently treated to the story of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by . The ending of the story leaves the reader wondering whatever happened to Ichabod Crane af- ter facing the Headless Horse- To be, or not to be? man. Below is an example of what one student decided really happened.

By ELLORA FIGURED Students watch Sixth grade student local ‘Hamlet’ Everyone wondered whatever happened to Ichabod Crane. Sleeping Beauty,also known as Aurora, knows performance exactly what happened to him. Long, long ago, Aurora pricked her By RYAN A. WORKMAN finger on the spindle of the magic Senior spinning wheel. She was placed on a bed n Friday, Oct. 3, stu- in the castle tower dents from Mr. John and that’s when Litchfield’s Advanced Ichabod and the OPlacement English classesO at St. John Neumann Re- Headless Horse- man showed up. gional Academy had the distinct The Headless honor of seeing the American Horseman threw Shakespeare Center’s production the pumpkin of William Shakespeare’s “Ham- (which was actually let” at the Community Arts Cen- magic) and they FIGURED ter. ended up in Sleep- It was my privilege to visit the ing Beauty’s world. theater early to meet and chat The Evil Witch at that time was with the very exciting and ener- outside of the castle waiting for the getic cast and crew, as well as ob- Prince to show up. It turned out the serve a few pre-show preparations Prince snuck behind the castle to get of music, dance and comedy, all of to the tower. The Headless Horse- which had great effect as a swarm man showed up in front of the castle of high school students crowded and the Evil Witch thought he was the theater. Many of these stu- the Prince! dents were about to witness their JOHN NEVILL JR./Sun-Gazette Correspondent Ichabod showed up at the edge of first live Shakespearean stage St. John Neumann Regional Academy high school students watch the American Shakespeare Center’s the woods, a short walk away from production. production of “Hamlet” on Oct. 3 at the Community Arts Center. the castle. Suddenly, three fairy god- Before the show, I was able to mothers popped up out of nowhere! interview three sic love story of a guy and a girl Ichabod jumped to his feet as fast as important char- who have many conflicts and con- he could. Then he paused in amaze- acters, Hamlet, frontations, and this doesn’t seem ment. He had never seen a fairy be- Ophelia and to work. We’ve also seemed to fore, let alone three! Then, as fast as Claudius. Ham- find a lot of the humor which they came, they were gone. let’s character is makes it unique.” Ichabod walked up and over the played by Luke In musical theater, the war is drawbridge to observe the scenery of Eddy. Ophelia’s between music and words. I asked his strange land. Scenery wasn’t the character is the three if, in dramatic theater, only thing Ichabod saw. played by Brandi there is a war between drama and words. He watched as the Headless WORKMAN Rhome, and Horseman was dodging blasts of Claudius’s char- Eddy replied, “In classical the- magic the Evil Witch was shooting acter is played atre, the war is more between an out of her wand. The wicked Witch by Jonathan Reis. audience’s expectations of stale waved her wand this way and that Eddy informed me that this is and ineffective or inapplicable way at the poor Headless Horseman. his first year with the group and theater to today’s current society. I Then, all of a sudden, the Evil that they have traveled to Vir- think there have been a lot of peo- Witch cast a spell upon herself. In a ginia, Kentucky, , Maryland, ple who have walked out of the matter of seconds she was a huge as well as Pennsylvania. Reis show and said, ‘Wow, that play black and purple dragon! She was 10 added that the group stays mostly made sense!’ I think a lot of peo- times taller than the trees! in the northeast, but traveled as ple don’t expect this. Even my “A ha ha ha!” cackled the Evil far west as Minnesota and as far parents, who aren’t Shakespeare Witch. south as the Keys. playgoers, said they actually liked “You’ll never get me!” said the When asked how the group what they saw.” Headless Horseman, full of confi- learned “Hamlet,” Eddy replied ent moments, it takes anything. A us, they (the audience) will get it,” When asked about their the- dence and, at the same time, full of that he spent a lot of time with lot of it is about remembering the Rhome said. atrical philosophy, and what they fear. the script. sounds. I’m a very auditory per- When asked if they would per- try to accomplish onstage every Suddenly flames shot out of the “I got the contract in late Feb- son.” form differently onstage if audi- time at every performance, Eddy dragon’s mouth. The flames swal- ruary and immediately started I asked if their interpretation ences behaved the same as those responded, “I attempt to connect lowed up almost everything that gathering all the videos and dif- of the play changes for different in Elizabethan England — shout- with an audience and display a came in its way. ferent texts for Hamlet. There are audiences, knowing that today ing, booing, rioting — Eddy re- truthful moment, and invite them All of that fire scared the Head- the First Quarto, Second Quarto, they were performing before a sponded, “I think essentially you to laugh or to cry or to feel pity, less Horseman’s horse, literally. The and Folio editions,” Eddy said. “We group of students. would have to adapt to what the and have that be both a distrac- horse collapsed with the poor Head- actually do two different scene se- “No, not really,” Eddy respond- audience is giving you. Also, we tion and a reminder of their own less Horseman still on it! quences, so that seemed to compli- ed. “We try to stay as consistent have no idea what the actual act- lives outside the theater.” The Headless MAN was left with cate things even more to get into as possible, and a lot of that ing style of the day would have Rhome added, “I want my char- nothing but his sword. It just wasn’t it, but all the prep time was really comes out of working with the been, what speech style they were acterization and style to improve his day. helpful.” text and sticking to what Shake- using and how they were doing it. every time. I want to do what Then Ichabod realized what he Reis added that it took a lot of speare wrote and dealing with all But, with regards to the audience, Shakespeare says so you laugh or had to do to save the strange land. studying and paraphrasing. of those things, not adding any- most certainly, there would have cry, whatever you (the audience) He would have to conquer both the “We know our part at least two thing on to it, but embodying that to be definite changes to how you want!” Evil Witch and the Headless Horse- months ahead of time,” Rhome as fully as possible. By sticking to deliver lines to that audience.” On giving advice to future ac- man. said. “We know the part before re- the text, it makes it easy to say Regarding the enormous task tors, Eddy said, “Do as many audi- Poof! The three fairies reappeared hearsals.” that there are some things that of portraying such well known tions as you possibly can! All audi- right in front of Ichabod. He told When asked what the charac- maybe a younger audience won’t characters as those in Hamlet, tions help you grow. The more you them who he was and why he was in terization methods were, Rhome get, but there’s also going to be Eddy said, “It’s intimidating, but do, the more comfortable you be- this strange land. replied, “Basically, any trick I can quite a few things that they will also, at the same time, it’s very come during performance.” “Wait!” he said before they left. “I get my hands on. There’s so much get.” comforting, because I’m probably The opportunity not only to see need your help!” text there and such a plethora of “There is no time to make the not going to do anything new. these actors perform, but also “So do we,” said the three fairies different facets to ‘Hamlet’ that in character new onstage, if you stick Everything has been done! That speak with them in depth about all at once. order to embody all of those differ- to the words Shakespeare gave gives me the ability to pick and Shakespearean acting, gave me “I need a bow and arrows.” choose what I want to do. With a great insight as to how much the “We need you to fight the Evil play like Hamlet, everyone’s going American Shakespeare Center’s Witch and the guy without his head!” to have an opinion.” Troupe really knew and appreci- said Merryweather, one of the fairies. Rhome added, “It’s exciting and ated their roles. It certainly was Poof! Ichabod had a bow and two intimidating. You just have to fo- meant to be that so many local arrows in his hand. Ichabod was cus on the words and the stage, schools experienced this produc- known around his world for his and forget the audience is out tion. archery skills. there.” The ASC stayed true to Shake- First, he aimed at the Headless In my English class, we debat- spearean settings by leaving the Horseman. Ichabod had the sight of a ed over who killed Ophelia, so I house lights on and bringing the hawk as he shot the first arrow. asked Rhome who killed Ophelia, drama to the audience by moving Whoosh! One down, one to go. the character that she plays. seats onstage and performing Whoosh! Down went the Evil She responded, “I think Ophe- right in the aisles. Witch with a loud boom! lia, in her current mental condi- Best of all, the students en- The fairies thanked Ichabod and tion, kills herself, while the Queen joyed their introduction to Shake- disappeared once again. stands by and does nothing about spearean drama saying, they “en- Meanwhile, the poor Prince scaled it.” That is exactly what my class joyed it,” could “understand the di- the very high tower to Sleeping concluded. alogue,” and would “definitely try Beauty. Aurora was kissed by the Eddy shed some light on how to see another show.” Prince and awoke. So did all of the his character applies to today’s On behalf of St. John Neu- other people in the kingdom. culture and situation. mann Regional Academy, I would Aurora and the Prince were mar- He said, “I think Hamlet is so like to thank Mr. Rob Steele, Mrs. ried, and lived happily ever after. So applicable in the struggle that he Jeri Sims, the Community Arts did Ichabod. He was knighted, met a deals with having another man Center, Mr. Frank Pellegrino and girl who lived in the kingdom, mar- come in and assume his father fig- Business Leaders Organized for ried her and had two lovely children. ure. With so many kids with di- Catholic Schools (BLOCS) of Ly- Then he realized he didn’t have vorced families and single moms coming County, for helping intro- his hat ... and dads, people can readily iden- duce Shakespeare to a new audi- tify with Hamlet. Also it’s the ba- ence of theatergoers.