Geoffrey Chaucer is naughty. For that reason, he's often been a favorite for English teachers trying to engage and teach distracted high school students.
He's also a great choice for a theatrical production.
The Parnassian Society at Columbia High School is promising to retain all of the fun and a touch of the naughtiness — but clean Chaucer up just enough — to create a "family-friendly adaptation suitable for all ages" when it debuts its version of The Canterbury Tales on Thursday, November 17.
The play follows a group of pilgrims who decide to hold a story-telling contest on the road from Southwark to the shrine of St. Thomas Beckett in Canterbury. The pilgrims are from all walks of medieval life and include a Knight, a Miller, a Prioress, and a rather insatiable Wife of Bath.
Their stories are similarly diverse, including old favorite literary conceits as 'boy meets girl,' 'talking chicken meets fox' and 'red-hot poker meets naked bottom.'
Anyone unfamiliar with Chaucer’s middle English has no need to panic as the show has been newly translated into vibrant modern language by Canadian playwright Lindsay Price.
Stephen Stubelt, CHS Parnassian director, explains the translation, "It's all about being faithful to the original text while making it relevant to a modern audience. It's a tricky line to walk but I realized that the key thing was to keep it accessible and funny."
"There are several tales that are like mini-plays in themselves," says Stubelt. "Famous ones like The Miller's Tale and The Wife of Bath's Tale deserve a proper showing. Many of the lesser-known tales would be rather unpalatable to a modern audience without a good pinch of irony!"
"These productions are always amazing and extremely professional," says South Orange-Maplewood School District Communications Coordinator Judy Levy. "You forget that these are high school students and not Broadway stars."
Performances are Thursday, Friday, Saturday, November 17, 18, 19 at 8 p.m. Sunday, November 20 is a matinee performance at 3 p.m. Tickets are $12 and can be reserved by calling 973-713-6866.
