Ella Burnham is sharing her talents as the writer of this year’s fall play, Rewritten: The Viper.
Hartfield Academy's Fine Arts program proudly presents The Viper, a student-driven production of Rewritten, an annual project written, directed, and produced by Hartfield students. This year's version of Rewritten is adapted from Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra, and the script was crafted by Hartfield senior Ella Burnham, who has been involved in the school's performing arts since her sophomore year.
Ella shares that the inspiration to take on the role of writer came from two sources: Megan Smith, who encouraged her interest in writing for the stage, and her older sister, who first sparked her love for storytelling. With this opportunity, Ella was able to bring new depth and emotion to the characters, refining the dialogue and the narrative beyond her previous work.
Choosing Antony and Cleopatra as the play to reimagine was a long-time goal for Ella, who said, “Hattie wanted me to wait and perfect my writing before I took this play on. I’m grateful that she did because the dialogue and characters have taken on more life than my play last year.”
The title, The Viper, reflects the darker themes of the original Shakespearean tragedy and pays honor to Cleopatra’s tragic end. “My main character has the title of the ‘Viper,’ which relates to the snakes Cleopatra used to end her life when she found that Antony had been murdered,” she explains.
Ella is especially excited for opening night. “I haven’t told anyone what this play is really about, so I’m really excited for the people who have gone through life with me to see it,” she says. With a particularly anticipated moment in Act 2, Scene 3, where the characters experience a pivotal shift, The Viper promises to be a captivating experience for the audience.
Join us for the show on November 1st at 7:00pm.
Order tickets here: go.hartfield.org/rewritten
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Hartfield Academy
Hartfield Academy is fully accredited by both the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), the MidSouth Association of Independent Schools (MAIS), the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) and the Southern Association of independent Schools (SAIS).