HS Play

"THE KING STAG"

Friday April 17 at 7 P.M.

Saturday April 18 at 3 P.M.

Magic! Mystery! Mayhem! And…a Bear? The American School of The Hague’s funniest production is on the horizon!

This spring’s High School production of THE KING STAG has been in the works for three months. This classic commedia dell'arte play juxtaposes moments of laughter with moments of sincerity. Originally written by Carlo Gozzi in 1762, and masterfully reimagined by Natalya Baldyga in 2016, THE KING STAG follows a noble king, Deramo, as he begrudgingly searches for a wife; but little does he know, his villainous first minister, Tartaglia, secretly plots to betray him, securing the kingdom – and Deramo’s wife – for himself. Through the use of physical comedy, improvisation and slapstick, the production shares a message of love and the power of community action. THE KING STAG will leave the audience both uplifted and shaking with laughter!

How does it feel for modern students to work on a production that’s more than 250 years old? Well, many of them have been surprised at how easy and fun it is. After all, this script is “still very funny,” says Juliette, one of THE KING STAG’s student actors. “It reminds me that humor is more timeless than you realise.” Dr Baldyga’s modern version of this play has also updated its and adapted its original jokes and added physical theater elements which elevate both the play’s humor and its powerful message. THE KING STAG has amazed the students by “how well it holds up and how relevant it is.” Avery, another student actor, even adds: “It has jokes for every age group of the audience!”

At rehearsals, students chase each other across the stage, build wildly comic structures out of massive foam blocks, move from slow-motion sequences to traditional “asides” where characters break the fourth wall and speak directly to the audience, and even shoot at each other with Nerf crossbows. “I hope the audience is able to laugh as much as we have during rehearsals,” says Ash, a student actor. And Luke, who plays multiple characters and has also helped to build production elements such as costumes and puppets, adds how much he loves “how lighthearted everything is. One second you are trying to find a way to imitate another character, and the next you are running from people trying to hunt you. This show is all about fun and that is what working on the show is. Fun!” 

Come to see THE KING STAG yourself and discover how this new adaptation of a classical play will surprise and delight you. All are welcome!

Performances are at the American School of the Hague, on Friday April 17th (7 pm) and Saturday April 18th (3 pm).

Performances will be in English.

Tickets are 11 Euros (incl. fees) and can be purchased here:

THE KING STAG Ticket Shop