This week, the Gustavus Theatre and Dance department will be bringing to life William Shakespeare’s famous play, Measure for Measure. The play deals with themes like coercion, corruption, and sexual violence.

The show follows the character of Isabella, a nun whose brother is sentenced to death by a government official named Angelo who offers to release her brother is she has sex with him, to which she refuses.

The plot evolves into a series of twists and lies from there. The show is often described as a dark comedy.

In addition to the actors, the show involves a significant amount of puppet work. The cast and crew got the chance

to learn about how puppets are made and how they work for the show.

The stage manager of the production, Sophomore Jordan Johnson, is excited to see all of the hard work of the cast and crew come to light during the show.

“The actors have put in so much hard work, and so I’m excited to see that work pay off. The crew has also worked so hard, especially the costume designers, the costumes in the show are entrancing,”Johnson said

Johnson is also excited to see the message of the show get spread to the audience and see the reaction that they have to it. She is interested to see how the audience picks up and reacts to the thoughtful themes that the show presents.

The production deals with some difficult issues like sexual abuse and includes scenes that are sometimes difficult to watch.

“There are some tough scenes, but it’s beautiful to see the actors support each other through them and create such a welcoming environment for everyone on set”, Johnson said.

“The cast has gotten to know each other so well throughout this production and that’s so great to see,” Johnson said.

The play, written in the seventeenth century, has plenty of relevance to contemporary issues.

The sexual violence aspect is a huge topic of debate in today’s political climate. The play may bring up thoughts of the current “Me Too” movement for many viewers.

The show will run on Thursday, November 8 to Saturday, November 10 at 8 p.m. and Sunday November 11 at 2 p.m. in Anderson Theatre.

Some parts of the show may not be appropriate for children, including sexual content.