By CARSON GREENE, Gazebo Correspondent

Last week, on Focus on the Arts Day, we had the privilege of seeing an abridged version of the drama department’s latest play, “Shakespeare In Shorts.”

There were many things I enjoyed about the 40-minute preview. Overall, the cast did a good job at portraying the vast and complex works of Shakespeare. None of scenes were too rushed, as one might expect in a performance of this nature. The cast made them seem fun and light-hearted.

Having seen all of these aspects in the preview for “Shakespeare In Shorts,” I am thoroughly looking forward to seeing the play performed in its entirety.

There are performances on Wednesday and Thursday in the Henry Tift Fine Arts Auditorium at 7 p.m.

The musical number performed at the end was moving and an excellent conclusion for “Shakespeare In Shorts.” It also captured the brutality and darker aspects of Shakespeare’s works.

This chilling ending, along with several scenes performed throughout the play, also served to balance the darker aspects of the works being portrayed with the more light-hearted ones, which were shown far more frequently.

“Shakespeare In Shorts” and its actors had some great direction from Sylvia Haynie, head of the theatre department.

Haynie is passionate about the performance and the works of Shakespeare, who died 400 years ago this week —  on May 3, 1616, in Stratford-upon-Avon in the United Kingdom.

“I’ve always been a Shakespeare ‘nerd’ myself, and I love opportunities to bring his work to life,” Haynie said.