By The Shout

The following announcement is based on a submission from the Wichita State College of Fine Arts.

Witches, ghosts, sword fights and a mother who unknowingly eats her children. William Shakespeare knew how to deliver a little horror — and Wichita State School of Performing Arts students bring the darker side of the Bard to BOOtanica this month.

Students from WSU’s School of Performing Arts will perform BOOtanical Shakespeare from 6:30-8:30 p.m. October 23-24 at Botanica’s annual Halloween celebration.

Under the direction of Joseph Urick, associate professor of drama, the short-form performances feature a condensed version of "Macbeth" alongside scenes from "Hamlet" and "Titus Andonicus," highlighting the plays' ghosts, witches and gruesome tales.

One performance takes place in Botanica’s Shakespeare Garden, surrounded by Elizabethan-inspired plantings, stone pathways and a bust of the Bard. Another unfolds on a raised platform near the Garden Cafe.

Taking Shakespeare outdoors presents a different set of challenges for student actors, particularly when it comes to making their voices carry without microphones.

“As I teach voice at WSU, it has been a real joy bringing out the voices of the performers, so they carry safely in an open space without risking their instruments,” Urick said.

Urick, who brings experience in outdoor and site-specific theater, says the project gives students the opportunity to explore physical storytelling and adapt their acting techniques to a public setting. The experience connects directly to students’ coursework in period-style acting and Shakespeare and performance, combining scholarly research into the history and poetic structure of Shakespeare’s language with the vocal and physical techniques required for outdoor theater.

Audiences can expect more than drama-filled speeches and supernatural visitors. Urick is an avid stage-combat performer, and the scenes incorporate fights and a variety of weapons — all safe for public presentations.

“It should be a ‘bloody’ good time!” Urick said.

A perfect pairing for the spooky season

Shakespeare’s plays offer plenty of Halloween-ready material. "Macbeth" features three witches and the ghost of Banquo. "Hamlet" opens with the appearance of a murdered king's ghost. And "Titus Andronicus" delivers some of the playwright’s most notorious violence, including a revenge plot involving a pie baked with… human flesh.

For Urick, Shakespeare’s language and characters offer valuable lessons for actors, whether their ambitions lie onstage or in film and television.

“I have been very proud of their work — seeing them discover new approaches to their craft and allowing their personalities to shine through the words of these 400-year-old plays,” he said.

Plan your visit

BOOtanical Shakespeare runs 6:30-8:30 p.m. October 23-24 at Botanica, 701 N. Amidon St. in Wichita. Each short performance sequence lasts about 20 minutes, allowing visitors to enjoy the shows as part of their BOOtanica visit.

BOOtanica is open from 5-10 p.m. Fridays and 2-10 p.m. Saturdays. Tickets to the festival are $10-17. Visit botanica.org/bootanica for tickets and event information.

Announcements are submissions from arts and cultural organizations and community members. They are published at the discretion of SHOUT editors and may be lightly edited. Send press releases and other announcements to emily@shoutwichita.com.

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