1/31/2019 ‘Hamlet’ headlines 10th year of Shakespeare in the Park in South Abington Twp.

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HOME  UNCATEGORIZED  ‘Hamlet’ WEATHER

headlines 10th year of Shakespeare in the Park in
South Abington Twp.
Clarks Summit

‘Hamlet’ headlines
Weather Wind Rain

10.4 °
10th year of Cold

Shakespeare in the
-3 °F 8

Park in South Peter Chr 8 16

FRI
26 33
SAT

Abington Twp. POLL

4:29 PM Thu Jan 31

 June 5, 2018  Cody Tucker  Uncategorized

0
Should outside
By Ben Freda - For Abington Journal workers like mail LOCAL VIDEO
deliverers and
trash collectors be
granted a day off
when the weather
is as cold as it is in
some parts of the
country this week?

Yes

No

Not sure

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1/31/2019 ‘Hamlet’ headlines 10th year of Shakespeare in the Park in South Abington Twp. | Abington Journal

    

SOUTH ABINGTON 882AA70B 500…

500…
TWP. — The plays
of William
Shakespeare have
been performed
Hamlets uncle Claudius, played and enjoyed for
by Jeremy Kemmerer, woos over 400 years.
Hamlet’s mother Gertrude, Ghostlight
played by Leba Lanton, as Productions, a local
Horatio, far left, played by theater company
Rachel Luann Strayer, Polonius, based in Clarks EDITOR’S PICKS
played by Scott Rave, Laertes, Summit, has
played by Laura Doyle, and delighted
FEATURED JOBS
Ophelia, played by Dana audiences in the
Jackson, look on. - Ben Freda | For community for an
Abington Journal entire decade by
enacting
Shakespeare’s
plays at South
Waverly
Abington Parke.
Currently in its 10th
Elementary
year, Shakespeare School
Hamlet, left, played by Josiah in the Park features announces
Hall, sees the ghost of his actors who do an March 2018
father, played by KK Gordon, outdoor Comet Club All Categories
appear before him. - Ben Freda | performance of
winners
For Abington Journal one of the
Waverly Elementary
playwright’s stories
Students were recently
each year.
awarded prizes through
the school’s Comet Club
For this 10-year
Program for
milestone,
demonstrating kindness,
Ghostlight
respect and good
Productions Powered by DMC, Inc. ©
Claudius, center, played by citizenship during the
decided in advance
Jeremy Kemmerer, with month of March. From
to perform
Gertrude, Leba Lanton, orders left… CIRCULARS
“Hamlet” the
Guildenstern, Maxwell Earl, and weekend of June 1-
Rosencrantz, Grace Doolittle, to
3 and again June 8-
spy on Hamlet. - Ben Freda | For
10.
Abington Journal

Josiah Hall as Hamlet walks
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1/31/2019 ‘Hamlet’ headlines 10th year of Shakespeare in the Park in South Abington Twp. | Abington Journal

“It’s (“Hamlet”) Waverly

such a classic
Elementary
Shakespeare play,”
School students
said director
Jonathan Strayer. of the month for
“So, it was February, 2018 Hover for Circular

near the audience as he warranted to do it.” Waverly Elementary

performs the famous ‘To Be or School students of the
Not to Be’ soliloquy. - - Ben Strayer began month for February, 2018
Freda | For Abington Journal Ghostlight are, from left, first row,
Productions with Zoey Driggs, Evan Chase,
his wife Rachel and William Lynett, Lily
friend Jeremy Sobolak, Iniyan Hover for Circular

Kemmerer. They Arunkumar, Cole Spinelli

met and acted in and Jacob Felton.
plays as students at
Clarks Summit
University. After
college, they
Claudius, played by Jeremy wanted to not only
Kemmerer, shows remorse for to start a theater
his murderous deed as Hamlet, company but do
Waverly
played by Josiah Hall, wonders something Elementary
whether or not to spare his life. outdoors. After School Comet
- - Ben Freda | For Abington Journal
speaking with Club winners for
South Abington November, 2017
Twp. supervisors The Waverly Elementary
and South School Comet Club
Abington Parks, winners for November
Recreation and are, from left, first row,
Shade Tree Michael Vazquez, Mac
Hamlet, played by Josiah Hall,
Committee Evans, Ethan Goldberg,
talks to the skull of the
members, they Gracie Snyder and
deceased court jester Yorick as Samantha Rosenstein.
received a
his closest friend Horatio, Second row, Olive
community grant
played by Rachel Luann Strayer, O’Rourke…
from the
looks on. - - Ben Freda | For
Lackawanna
Abington Journal
County
Laertes, left, played by Laura
Department of Arts
Doyle, duels against Hamlet,
and Culture to
played by Josiah Hall, while
begin the
Claudius, played by Jeremy
Shakespeare in the
Kemmerer, and Gertrude,
Park project. The Waverly 
played by Leba Lanton, watch.
project was also Elementary
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1/31/2019 ‘Hamlet’ headlines 10th year of Shakespeare in the Park in South Abington Twp. | Abington Journal

supported by the principal

Pennsylvania
announces
Council on the Arts,
March Students
P.S. Advertising
Specialties and The of the Month
Abington Memorial Mrs. Bridget Frounfelker,
Post 7069, VFW, principal at Waverly

which volunteered Elementary School, has

- - Ben Freda | For Abington Journal
to serve behind the acknowledged March’s

scenes. Students of the Month.

From left, first row,
Shakespeare in the Park began in 2009 with the play Makenna Boozer, Adalyn
called “Twelfth Night.” Since then, Ghostlight Snyder, Yusuf Nayeem…
Productions has been offering weekend
performances each June with Shakespeare plays.
Other plays performed at Shakespeare in the Park
include “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “Romeo &
Juliet,” “The Comedy of Errors,” “Macbeth” and Geisinger
“Julius Caesar.”
Commonwealth
“We try to make it accessible because Shakespeare medical students
gets a bad rap for being too lofty,” said Jeremy, who hold cultural
played Hamlet’s uncle Claudius in this year’s fashion show
production of “Hamlet.” “When it comes down to it, Nine Geisinger
they’re really good stories.” Commonwealth School
of Medicine (GCSOM) Peter Chr
Jonathan and Jeremy also work together at Clarks students and a faculty
Summit University where Jonathan is a theater member participated in
director and Jeremy is a musical director. GCSOM’s annual “cultural

Jonathan and Rachel Strayer have seen the

explosion” fashion show, Don't ling
Shakespeare in the Park audience grow and vary
an event that caps off the
school’s Diversity…
longer.
through the years. Some times, the turnout is about
700 people; other times, it’s about 1,100.

“I love the community that we build,” said Jonathan.

“The audience gets to experience it.”
Shop Now
The Strayers have also seen audience members when
they were kids during the first years of Shakespeare
in the Park and have watched them grow to young
adults.

“I just really enjoy this opportunity to connect with


our community and introduce them to the wonders
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1/31/2019 ‘Hamlet’ headlines 10th year of Shakespeare in the Park in South Abington Twp. | Abington Journal

of Shakespeare,” said Rachel, who plays Hamlet’s

best friend Horatio.

Nathan Bradley, who once lived in Scranton but now

resides in Salem, Virginia, has performed at
Shakespeare in the Park since its beginning. He acted
in five plays, including “A Midsummer Night’s
Dream,” in which he played Bottom. He is currently
bringing the idea of Shakespeare in the Park to a
park in Salem. It will begin this July.

“It’s an adventure,” said Bradley. “I use a lot of what I

learn and apply it to Shakespeare in the Park in
Virginia.”

Although he lives in Virginia, Bradley comes to South

Abington Twp. every year to watch Shakespeare in
the Park.

KK Gordon, who plays the ghost of Hamlet’s father

and is also a playwright, has been performing at
South Abington Park for five consecutive years. He
has written plays which have been performed in
Scranton and New York. His play “Mona Lisa and the
Cross” will be performed at Scranton’s Old Brick
Theater in October.

“As a playwright, it feels like I’m doing my

homework,” said Gordon. “The thing about Jonathan
and Rachel is that they work with people of different
experiences but train them the same way. To me, it’s
my vacation of the drama of theater, the stuff that
doesn’t come on stage.”

The title character of “Hamlet” is played by Josiah

Hall, a student at Clarks Summit University. This is
Hall’s first time acting for Shakespeare in the Park,
but he has performed in many plays at the university
with Jonathan Strayer.

Josiah’s plays at the university include “The

Importance of Being Earnest,” “Peter and the Star
Catcher” and the Shakespeare play “Much Ado About
Nothing.” 

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1/31/2019 ‘Hamlet’ headlines 10th year of Shakespeare in the Park in South Abington Twp. | Abington Journal

“Jonathan just doesn’t tell us what to do but what

the character would do,” said Josiah. “It gives me
freedom as an actor.”

Josiah also enjoys the challenge of playing the role of

Hamlet.

“I feel like I could keep digging stuff out of Hamlet,”

he said. “He’s such a brilliant character and very
intricate. Sometimes, you don’t know what he’s
doing. It’s been great. I feel blessed. I’m going to do
best to please God and give him credit.”

Ghostlight Productions will continue Shakespeare in

the Park with performances of Hamlet at 6:30 p.m.
Friday, June 8 and Saturday, June 9 and at 2:30 p.m.
Sunday, June 10.

“We love doing this,” said Jonathan. “We love

bringing Shakespeare to the community. It’s a
valuable experience.”

    

Reach the Abington Journal newsroom at 570-587-

1148 or by email at news@theabingtonjournal.com.

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