Shakespeare in the Dark will present the most popular play of Shakespeare’s time, “Henry IV.” While “drunken debauchery, a hot couple, practical jokes and fight scenes” may seem to be a more appropriate description of a collegiate Saturday night than a tagline for a Shakespearean play, Shakespeare in the Dark promises all of it in its spring production, which opens Sunday.

p. The play is set in 1403 England, but Shakespeare in the Dark presents it in a manner students would not necessarily expect: in its original form with just a few changes. Through this, Shakespeare’s themes and their applicability to modern times become more evident.

p. “It’s pretty simple: it’s just about the story. There’s no period, no forced overtones about the war in Iraq or anything. It’s done in simple, Elizabethan-era practice style,” director of the show, sophomore Dan Gillies said.

p. In keeping with the show’s original, straightforward scheme, the set consists of minimal props that will be moved throughout the show to create different scenes. In addition, actors are simply clad in black clothes with a few complementary accessories. According to Gillies, the simplicity of the show’s physical appearance is counterbalanced with energy from the cast that will bring the 400-year-old words alive in modern times. “It’s a coming of age story about the excesses of youth and the inevitable onset of adulthood. It’s something everyone young can related to,” senior actor Rob Forney, who plays Falstaff said.

p. Other than cutting a few lines for length’s sake, Shakespeare in the Dark changed nothing about the original script. “I figure that if you’re ‘modernizing’ the text or in any way dumbing it down, you’re pretty much saying that either Shakespeare was an idiot, or that your audience is. Neither of these are true. A lot of people underestimate how much an average modern-day person can understand of Early Modern English language. You just have to give them the chance,” said Gillies. The group aims to make Shakespeare’s original work interesting to students by presenting it the way it was intended.

p. “I think a lot of people have a misconception of Shakespeare that you can only do it if you’re British and perform it way over the top,” Gillies said.

p. But Shakespeare was a man of the people, and he wrote real characters with real emotions. If you don’t play it up, it sounds perfectly natural. Without changing the script itself, the play will be modernized with a contemporary soundtrack. “The themes in this show are just as pertinent now as they were 400 years ago, and so they still show up in songs nowadays,” Gillies said. The play will open with The Killers’ song, “All These Things That I’ve Done.” “There are strong parallels between the Killers’ song and the play,” junior Steven Koernig, who plays Henry IV, said. “The song is about youth and whether it was wasted and whether you can redeem your past sins.”

p. “Henry IV” stands as Shakespeare in the Dark’s first show to be done in original Elizabethan performance style. While the group’s name would imply otherwise, the lights will remain on throughout the play, as was protocol in Shakespeare’s time.

p. This show is Shakespeare in the Dark’s third undertaking this year, though the group normally only puts on two shows each year. “Henry IV” will play April 8 to 10 in the University Center Commonwealth Auditorium at 7 p.m. Admission is $4.

“You think you know a story, but you only know how it ends. To get to the heart of the story, you have to go back to the beginning.” These words, spoken by the king himself in the show’s introduction, stand as the guiding theme of Showtime’s new 10-episode series, “The Tudors.” The show depicts a 10-year span in the life of King Henry VIII, father of Elizabeth I and member of the infamous Tudor family of Great Britain.

p. The Tudor reign is one of the most well-documented periods in history. From the works of Shakespeare to the Protestant Reformation, it was a time of revolutionary new ways of experiencing life. However, it somehow comes off a bit boring. We all know the story of the divorce and the numerous beheadings. Most of us have read the history in our textbooks. What saves this show is what went on behind the scenes — that which we never learned in school. Michael Hirst, the writer of the show, essentially creates a contemporary version of English history. The lives of the most prominent political figures of the time appear to come right out of a soap opera, filled with secret affairs, illegitimate children and forbidden love.

p. Jonathan Rhys Meyers is at his best as the young Henry VIII, who seeks to change the world, confident enough to believe he can do it. With roles in “Match Point” and “Vanity Fair,” the young Irish actor has already proven his versatility. Now, Meyers commands the screen with a raw intensity that is impossible to ignore.

p. “The Tudors” goes deep into the persona of the infamous king, providing a unique look at his most profound obstacles. Beyond the potential wars abroad and political pressures, he seems most tortured by his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, the widowed wife of his elder brother, Arthur. As he sits in confession, he asks what the scripture says about a man in his position. The priest responds, “If a man marries his brother’s wife, they will die childless … But you have a child.” The king responds without hesitation, “But not a son.”

p. The most insightful look into the world of Henry VIII is provided by the women who surround him. They are subordinated at every point, regardless of their rank in society or relation to the king. His wife lives with the knowledge of her husband’s infidelity, as well as the guilt over her inability to produce a son. In an attempt to create a peace treaty with France, the king promises his young daughter in marriage to the French prince as a symbol of the alliance. The young princess is seen only as a political tool in the eyes of her father.

p. It is only at the end of the second episode that we get a true sense of Anne Boleyn, played by Natalie Dormer (“Casanova”). After Henry stops inviting her sister back to his bedroom, Anne’s father asks her to seduce the young king in order to maintain their family’s good standing. In describing his young daughter he says, “There is something deep and dangerous in you, Anne. Those eyes of yours are like dark hooks for the soul.” The episode ends with her mischievous smile — and based on history, we know there is much more to come from her character. She is clearly aware of her powers over any man, even a king.

p. As most of our favorite shows are nearing the season’s end, “The Tudors” arrives just in time to keep the drama in our lives. With an attractive cast for the girls and daring battles for the guys, the show can satisfy anyone. In spite of the boring political aspects, the strong cast and intriguing love stories are definitely worth watching.

**Scott Stapp sex tape**

Scott Stapp, the former lead singer of Christian rock band Creed settled his suit against an internet porn website guilty of illegally selling a sex tape involving Stapp and Kid Rock with a number of groupies. The video was filmed on the rockers’ tour bus in 1999. According to Stapp, the film was stolen from a safe in his house, though he forgot to mention why he saved it at all. The case was settled out of court less than three months after Stapp and his wife welcomed their first child.

p. **Snort me up**

Keith Richards was quoted earlier this week as having said that he once snorted a mixture of cocaine and his father’s ashes. “He was cremated and I couldn’t resist grinding him up with a little bit of blow,” the Rolling Stones guitarist said. In the aftermath, Richards claims that the comment was said in jest and should be written off as an April Fool’s joke. The joke apparently sailed right over the interviewer’s head. You can’t blame him though — knowing Keith Richards, anything is possible.

p. **Pill-popping playmate**

New information has surfaced in the Anna Nicole Smith case. The once-popular commencement speaker choice was determined to have died from a drug overdose. Information was recently released stating that 11 different prescription drug bottles were found in the hotel room at the time of her death, none of which were prescribed to her. It makes one wonder what took them so long to figure the case out when 400 of the pills — all prescribed less than five weeks prior — were found missing.

p. **Britney Spears goes to Miami**

Britney Spears’ recent head-shaving incident has inspired more than just tabloid headlines. An upcoming episode of “CSI: Miami,” CBS’s hit crime scene show, features a character modelled after the now-bald pop star. The episode centers around a patient who dies during a stint at a rehab clinic. While investigating, the forensics team comes across another resident of the clinic — a you pop starlet who has insanely shaved her head.

Dear Will Ferrell — thanks. It seemed there was cause for concern about your comedic future. “Anchorman” solidified your role in the humor-loving hearts of teenage America (my friends still remind me that “they’re kind of a big deal”). “Talladega Nights,” was no such success — your character was more obnoxious than funny, more offensive than entertaining and more stupid than laughable. But in “Blades of Glory,” you are back, my friend.

p. In ‘Glory,’ Ferrell once again reproduces his favorite and most popular role: the once-popular-now-fighting-to-make-a-comeback hero (think “Anchorman,” “Talladega Nights” and “Bewitched”) alongside Jon Heder (“Napoleon Dynamite”). Bitter rivals, Chazz Michael Michaels (Ferrell) and Jimmy MacElroy (Heder) compete in Olympic men’s figure skating until an embarrassingly crass fight gets them stripped of their gold medals and banned from the singles’ competition. Years later, Michaels and MacElroy are joined up unwillingly by their coach, played iconically by Craig T. Neslon from the TV series “Coach,” when they realize they can compete as a pairs team.

p. Though the premise may be a stretch, it sets the stage for a worthy spoof of figure skating. The two men are so wonderfully opposite that the forced cooperation is nothing short of hilarious. MacElroy, with his tousled blonde locks, subtle lip gloss and extreme discomfort around women, juxtaposed with Michaels, an alcoholic, self-proclaimed sex addict (“It’s a real disease – with doctors and medicine,” he explains to Nancy Kerrigan) with a rocker attitude provides for some serious laughs. There is surprising chemistry between the two, as Michaels’ raunchiness and wild life clicks well with MacElroy’s sheepish, innocent lifestyle. One of the most humorous scenes of the movie features the vulgar Michaels coaching a reluctant MacElroy as he asks a woman out to dinner. Slowly the two realize that to get back in the game, they must work together.

p. Homoerotic undertones provide the crux for much of their hilarity — or, shall we say, chemistry. “Blades of Glory” sometimes goes for the easy laughs, such as punches to the crotch and drunkenness. The movie, however, never takes itself seriously enough for that to matter. Even the sport of figure skating gets in on the fun, with cameos by legends such as Brian Boitano, Sasha Cohen and Dorothy Hamill.

p. It’s good to see a group of athletes who are willing to poke fun at their sport. Some jokes are only achievable within the world of figure skating. Flamboyant costumes, bizarrely theatrical routines, cutthroat competition and MacElroy’s obsessive fan prove to be amusing running gags. In the opening routine, MacElroy’s hand, decorated as a peacock’s head, glides through the air and impresses judges. This laughable parody actually reflects real-life events — male skater Johnny Weir wore a swan glove in one of his infamous skating routines.

p. Amy Poehler (“Saturday Night Live”) and Will Arnett (“Arrested Development”) prove to be ideal additions to a solid comedic foundation. They play the competing pairs team (brother and sister Stranz and Fairchild Van Waldenberg) that sends their youngest sister, played by Jenna Fischer (“The Office”), to sabotage the competition. Anyone who is familiar with the shows these stars hail from knows they are in for a treat.

p. The Van Waldenbergs nail the villains’ roles as they try everything to stay on the top podium — think Tonya Harding on steroids. This pair creates unbeatably absurd moments. Stranz Van Waldenberg, sprawled out on his polar bearskin rugs, notes that the opposing team members are “such freaks.” In a competition, Fairchild Van Waldenberg, dressed as Marilyn Monroe, climaxes their routine by throwing fistfuls of pills in her mouth. Their brother-sister relationship is borderline incestuous.

p. Fischer plays a familiar role, echoing her love-struck naive character from “The Office.” These actors portray characters that seem to have been written for them, resulting in a comedy fit for a gold medal.

p. “Blades of Glory,” like all spoofs, is not worthy of any honors from the Academy, but it’s a guaranteed laugh. Perhaps it will inspire movie-goers everywhere to don sequin-covered peacock outfits and lace up those figure skates. This movie will definitely generate more Will Ferrell taglines, such as Chazz’s motto: “Clothing: optional.” You’ll definitely hear me saying — and living — that slogan.

Mystic Theatre’s spring production of “A Tragic History of Titus Andronicus or Tragedy! (A Musical Comedy)” put a hilarious lyrical spin on Shakespearean violence that left the audience roaring with laughter.

p. ‘Tragedy!’ was written and directed by sophomore Michael Johnson, and started purportedly as a joke. In the program he writes that it was “a ‘you know what would make a good musical? Titus Andronicus’ kind of joke.” Indeed, the tale of Titus did make a good musical. Johnson’s quality comedic writing played on a variety of intellectual palates; there’s everything from brutal, pointless violence and thinly veiled sexual innuendo for the theatrical low-brow to modern-day political satire and hilarious literary allusions that would leave even the most tight-laced professor chuckling.

p. The musical is based on Shakespeare’s “Titus Andronicus,” the Bard’s most Quentin Tarantino-esque play. In both plays, the title character is engaged in an endless loop of revenge with his enemy, Tamora, Queen of the Goths (the angry Goths, not the emo goths), which, like most of Shakespeare’s tragedies, ends with the death of almost every character. ‘Tragedy!,’ however, contains better choreography and far more “your mom” jokes.

p. The play was narrated by Erin the Moor, a black woman who roamed the stage, setting up each character to die and informing the audience of her plans. She was ably portrayed by junior Amanda Wright. She killed every single character, either directly or indirectly. The most memorable death was when she drowned a clown in a fountain.

p. Unfortunately, this marvelous idea was a bit overdone; far too often she accidentally pointed out weaknesses and holes in the plot. Her history was also not discussed, never really answering the question of where she came from or how she fit into the story. The character moved too quickly from coy to furious and back again. She also talked to the audience too often — break the fourth wall too much and the whole house comes crumbling down.

p. Although the entire cast was capable, there were a few who stood out. The character of Lavinia was played by freshman Lauren Huyett, who on Tuesday night did not appear in her role until halfway through the first act. Her character was played until then by a fill-in. The director explained why and pointed out the irony before the show began; Huyett, whose character’s tongue is cut out and hands cut off, had two days before lost her voice, and 20 minutes before curtain on Tuesday had slammed her hand in a door. Nevertheless, Huyett’s acting stood out, and her singing was magnificent.

p. Also noteworthy was sophomore Brian Paljug, who portrayed Titus’s only competent son, Lucius. The role seemed tailored for him and his hair was perfect for the part — it was puffy but not overpowering, springing back into place whenever he waved it from his face. The hair summed up the character. Perhaps the only problem with his acting was that the red gym shorts he wore underneath his tunic kept creeping down into sight.

p. Finally, the gem of the evening: Marcus, a senator and the brother of Titus, portrayed by sophomore Thomas Baumgardner. Marcus is intended to be wimpy and fearful in contrast to his bellicose family, and Baumgardner’s portrayal is amazing. The sheer range of facial expressions he can produce is simply shocking. His specialty is the “Oh my gods, I can’t believe you did that, but I guess since you’re family I have to help out” expression, which is featured prominently. Also excellent was his reprisal of “You Were Always Mom’s Favorite” in the second act, in which he lamented his second-place status by beating up an audience member.

p. Unfortunately, all this quality acting and singing was marred by poor technical production. The orchestra often drowned out the singers, leaving the audience wondering what, exactly, they were singing about. Occasionally, an actor’s microphone was not turned on, leaving the scene rather silent. Other than these minor errors, the production quality, which included radio programs, gunshots and continued playbacks of Daniel Powter’s “Bad Day,” was admirable.

p. Overall, ‘Tragedy!’ was utterly delightful. Only a couple of times did it go too far, and every joke was carefully crafted to work on multiple levels. Johnson’s comedic genius paired with the brilliance of the cast and crew made this musical shine.