Welcome to the Renaissance! Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ Presents ‘Something Rotten’
Set in the 1590s, Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ’s new Mainstage production Something Rotten follows the Bottom brothers, Nick and Nigel, who are determined to write a hit play but are stuck in the shadow of the Renaissance rock star known as “The Bard.” The musical comedy, which ran on Broadway from 2015 to 2017, features Shakespearean mischief, outrageous characters, and show-stopping numbers.
Following the success of the Mainstage production Romeo and Juliet in fall of 2023, Theater Coordinator and Something Rotten Director Katie Clarke decided to continue the Shakespearean theme for the 2023-24 season, flipping the switch to a witty musical.
The show had been on Clarke’s list for several years, and she felt like it was time to try a dance-heavy musical with the students. Choreographed by Aaron Swiniuch and Dance Captain Cailyn Pollard ’25, the production includes several ensemble-wide tapping numbers.
For nursing major Tom Rocco ’25, playing the eccentric role of Shakespeare has been a challenging but rewarding experience. For one, he’s not much of a dancer, and playing a British character meant training with an accent coach, in addition to the tap lessons.
“Staying in your comfort zone, you get complacent,” he said. “That’s not fun, doing the same thing over and over again. You don’t get to grow in that way. I’ve never done accents before on stage, so that’s a challenge for me. But I’m having fun with it.”
For Alli Moody ’25, the show has become a way to become more confident in herself. A competitive dancer in high school, she came to Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ with little theater experience but decided to join the ensemble during the College’s production of Rocky Horror Picture Show in 2022.
Now, the English secondary education major (with minors in history and theater) is playing the role of Bea, Nick Bottom’s headstrong wife. In a time when women can’t work, Bea is determined to help with family finances. So she decides to go work—only undercover as a man.
“She’s just so willing to put herself out there,” said Moody. “She’s doing all these things to show who she really is, and trying to do it all in her life.”Moody describes Bea as someone who takes daring risks, but the character does it solely to support the people that she loves. While playing Bea, Moody has also adopted Bea’s confidence.
“It was the perfect way to be able to step out of my comfort zone safely, and to be silly onstage and do all kinds of crazy things in a space where everyone else is willing to also be going out of their comfort zone,” said Moody. “It’s translated to my real life—I feel more comfortable just trying to be myself.”
That message also rings true for Rocco. As a member of the Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ football team, he’s split his time between sports and theater.
“As somebody who balances two different lives, it hits home. If you feel like you have to put a mask on for either one, it gets tiring,” said Rocco. “The more that you feel like you can be yourself and the more self-confidence you have, the more fulfilling you’ll feel, and the more fulfilling relationships you'll have.”
There is a place for everyone in Something Rotten, said Clarke. While the story itself is set in 1595, the themes and characters in the show still ring true to this day, and audience members will see themselves in some aspect of the story.
“This show is going to put a smile on your face! In a world with so much darkness, this is a light,” said Clarke. “You will laugh, and possibly cry, but mostly laugh your way through this adventure.”
Want to see Something Rotten? Tickets are for April 4, 5, and 6.