Have you ever experienced history being retold, but with a little twist? Well, meet Matthew Windham. Windham is the writer and main actor for the play “Simply Silly Shakespeare.”
Windham is from Flagstaff, Arizona, and went to college at the University of Utah. At a young age he was signed up for theater. He was interested in theater and the art of writing. He loved writing and sci-fi growing up. Later on, Windham came up with an idea to bring theater to younger audiences.
Throughout his career Windham has written more than a dozen plays. One of his most unique plays was about the famous Wright Brothers, featuring a frame-like plane being pushed around the stage just like the Wright Brothers’ first ever plane. This made the audience happy to see an act so creative and unique. Another special play was the infamous race to the moon. What really makes these performances pop are the actors, elements, and the audience’s imagination, says Windham.
Windham wrote “Simply Silly Shakespeare” as a fun, interactive play that teaches people of all ages about Shakespeare and his work.
Windham plays the main character, William Shakespeare. He describes his character to be silly, enthusiastic and happy. This character is tweaked for the play and is not accurate to the classic, original writer and poet we all know. Windham’s favorite part of his show is to be silly and clown around.
Some writing advice from Windham is to not be afraid to write and write daily. Watch, read, and see plays if you want to pursue a career in writing them, states Windham. Windham also suggests keeping a notebook and writing down things that come to mind. Lastly, he encourages everyone to come see his play in action.
When I saw “Simply Silly Shakespeare” at Arizona Broadway Theatre, I was pleased at how much I enjoyed the silly, interactive play. I learned a little about some of Shakespeare’s works like “Hamlet,” “Macbeth,” “Romeo and Juliet” and “Henry V” to “Henry VIII,” just to name a few. I truly enjoyed every bit of it and strongly advise you to see it yourself.
