Jay Barrett/KMXT

            A rare treat awaits a lucky few Friday in Kodiak. Through the National Endowment for the Arts, the Kodiak High School English department and the Fairbanks Shakespeare Theater, the Bard's play "Twelfth Night" will be performed in Kodiak. KMXT's Jay Barrett has more.

(vox in)

--          (Rebecca 1                 12 sec              "Ohhhhhh... what a deal of scorn ... Love's night is noon!")

            That can only be Shakespeare, of course. A line by the character Olivia in the romantic comedy Twelfth Night, performed by Rebecca Eddy of the Fairbanks Shakespeare Theater, which is bringing the play to Kodiak Friday.

            The troupe is the recipient of a $25,000 National Endowment for the Arts matching grant to bring Shakespeare to schools in rural parts of Alaska. They will perform Twelfth Night for students, and then conduct workshops for the English and drama classes. Eddy is also the assistant artistic director for the theater:

--          (workshops                 38 sec              "It's catered to the group ... performing for each other.")

            Townsfolk in Kodiak will be treated to a free public performance Friday night.

            English teacher Crystal Thomas said that her principal tipped her off to the opportunity of bringing the professional Shakespeare company to town. She said that she usually teaches Macbeth to her sophomores in the spring, but welcomed the opportunity to switch the curriculum this year:

--          (Shakespeare 2          35 sec              "Because they gave us ... that they're performing.")

            Thomas said as she introduced her students to the play, they immediately recognized a modern story in it:

--          (Shakespear 3            27 sec              "There's a contemporary movie ... and I can't wait.")

            Eddy agreed that the selection of Twelfth Night is perfect for a high school audience:

--          (fast paced                  39 sec              "It's a lot of fun ... streamlined and fast-paced.")

            The Fairbanks Shakespeare Theater has toured the state for years since being formed in 1992. They claim to be the "World's Northernmost Shakespeare company," and have even performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. This is the second time it has been the recipient of a $25,000 National Endowment for the Arts matching grant to bring Shakespeare to rural parts of Alaska.

            There will be one public performance only, at 7 p.m. Friday. Admission is free, and since the Drama Pod at the Gerald C. Wilson Auditorium has a capacity of just 125, Thomas recommends coming early to get a good seat.

            I'm Jay Barrett.

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