On Thursday, October 12, 2023, the Department of Theatre Arts’ production of “Something Rotten” played its second student & faculty preview. I had waited for this day since the 2023-24 season was announced and sat eagerly in the audience with several friends, waiting for the curtain to rise.

“Something Rotten” is a spectacular musical set in the 1590s. When Brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom compete with The Bard to put on the next biggest show in southern London, shenanigans ensue, and appearances are deceiving. If you have a longing for the Renaissance, are an English major at heart, or are a fan of “SIX” or “Hamilton,” this show is for you.

A few days before the preview, I spoke with Shakespeare themself, Audrey Loverro, to learn more about them and their thoughts about the show and rehearsal process.

Loverro was initially inspired to take on a career in theater after a pivotal moment they experienced as an ensemble member in a production of “Spring Awakening” just before high school. “One night when I got to watch the show, like when I wasn’t onstage, I decided to watch the audience, and I saw this woman in the second row,” they said. “She was crying really hard, and she was like clutching her chest. […] And then when the show was over, she seemed like she’d walked away from the production with something. She had been affected, and I realized that theater isn’t just something you do, it’s something you can give to people.”

The cast of “Something Rotten” truly gave the gift of theater to the audience at the preview. Performers often comment on the electricity of the audience, but there were also about a thousand volts of energy coursing through this mainstage production.

“I knew I wanted to be Shakespeare. I always wanted to be Shakespeare,” Loverro said when I asked what their vision was for this semester. “I mean, even before I knew that I was non-binary, I knew that I didn’t want to adhere to binary. And so I’ve always wanted to play male roles, play female roles, play non-specified roles, and I saw Something Rotten on Broadway when it opened with my family. And I just loved the show, and I thought Shakespeare was the best character ever.”

When I asked about the audition process, they said, “When I heard this season was announced, and we were doing ‘Something Rotten,’ I just, like, had my mind set. And the callback process was awesome. Everyone was so good. But I was the only AFAB (person who was assigned female at birth) in the room. It didn’t feel like a disadvantage, really, like I thought it could be a disadvantage, but I felt so supported by everyone. And I felt like I really was being considered, and I ultimately got the role.”

Actors must pick their own songs and monologues from outside of the show for which they are auditioning. Loverro enjoyed the process of choosing their Shakespeare-adjacent material. “I picked this song from ‘School of Rock’ called ‘I’m Too Hot For You,’ and I genderbent it, and I raised the key of the song so it fit my voice. I usually try to pick material that shows what I’m going for. I’m a little Type A, so I feel like I’m very very specific with my material. So that was the audition song that I chose, and then a monologue I did from, um, I think the play is called ‘I Hate Hamlet’? And I did it in like the Shakespeare voice, so they knew what I was going for.”

When I asked more about how their identity has informed the decisions they have made about their career, Loverro told me they came out as non-binary right before they began attending college. “It wasn’t just adapting to life as an independent person but also exploring this part of my identity that was there but hadn’t been vocalized.

“It feels like I get opportunities not based on my gender or my identity but based on my work. I think that’s the most important thing to me because I could tell when we went back into callbacks. They were like, ‘Anyone could get it.’ It’s just like whoever fits the role gets the role. It’s not necessarily about who’s, you know, an AMAB (person who was assigned male at birth) or an AFAB, or who looks the part or sounds the part or whatever. It’s about who can fit in this right now.”

Loverro’s command of the stage is stunning. You do not want to miss seeing them in “Will Power,” and the raised key of “Hard to Be the Bard” complements their suave voice. Other standout performances include Tyler Manemeit and Yazmin DeJesus as Nigel Bottom and Portia respectively. Manemeit masters comedic timing as Nigel, and I was pleasantly surprised by DeJesus’s soprano register.

You can still catch “Something Rotten” Sept. 20-22 at the Mainstage Theatre on the Westside campus and can buy tickets on Eventbrite now.