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Stepping into Shakespeare

Kat Reichert, CLA Public Information Office
October 27, 2025
cla-pio@alaska.edu

Actor Kaylee Cole Brings Wit and Warmth to UAF’s Fall Production, Historical Comical: A Shakespeare Double Bill.

The UAF Department of Theatre & Film raises the curtain on Historical Comical: A Shakespeare Double Bill, beginning November 7, a bold, two-act production devised and directed by Tom Robenolt. The show pairs an abridged, dreamlike retelling of Henry V with the whirlwind farce of The Comedy of Errors, exploring the ambition, absurdity, and contradictions of power through a Fairbanks lens. With live music, mask work, and inventive design using UAF’s own stock materials, this “Blanket Fort Theatre” creation promises an experience that’s equal parts insightful and joyfully chaotic.

For second-year student Kaylee Cole, a UAF English major and Film and Performing Arts minor, Historical Comical marks her first performance with the Theatre Department and her introduction to performing Shakespeare before a live audience. Cast as Montjoy in Henry V and Luciana in The Comedy of Errors, Cole has found herself balancing the gravitas of diplomacy in one act with the humor of mistaken identity in the next. “What makes the Shakespeare Double Bill a show that people should come see,” she says, “is that it is a combination of two Shakespeare plays, a historical and comical one. The two acts are almost opposites from one another. They play off of each other, starting with a strong war story and shifting into a hilarious mistaken identity tale.”

Cole admits that while studying Shakespeare can sometimes feel like work, performing it has revealed how much vitality the text holds when it’s embodied. “As an English major myself,” she says, “I think reading and watching Shakespeare can be a bit of a slog, but everyone in the production brings so much energy and life to the show, making it a lot more digestible and easier to understand.” That energy, she adds, makes the production “a ‘cannot miss’ kind of show."

For Cole, learning to make Shakespeare clear and engaging for modern audiences has been one of the most rewarding parts of the process. “A discovery that I have made during this production so far,” she explains, “is how to speak my lines, not only without a bad British accent, but also how to say them in ways that help the audience understand what is happening.” The experience has given her more confidence speaking Shakespeare’s words in a way that feels real and approachable.

Audiences can expect an imaginative blend of poetry and play, brought to life by UAF students and community performers. For Cole, it’s just the beginning of what she hopes will be a long journey with Theatre UAF: three more years of learning, performing, and discovering new ways to connect through story.

Audiences are invited to experience Historical Comical: A Shakespeare Double Bill when it opens Friday, November 7, with additional performances on November 8 and 9, and again the following weekend on November 14–16. Evening performances begin at 7:30 p.m., with Sunday matinees at 2:00 p.m.

Tickets are available through the . Admission is free for currently enrolled UAF students with a Polar Express Card as part of their Arctic Art Pass. Tickets are $20 for seniors, military members, and UAF affiliates, and $25 for the general public.

Be sure to catch this imaginative, high-energy production—and stay tuned for more Department Spotlights featuring the cast and crew of Historical Comical: A Shakespeare Double Bill.