All Shook Up to feature repurposed motorcycle
Audiences for the Wolf Players’ presentation of All Shook Up should be prepared for the intersection of Shakespeare and Elvis Presley… and a real motorcycle. Set in 1955, the story of All Shook Up retells Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night with Elvis-inspired characters, singing, and dancing, and Chad Simmons, technical director, knew that incredible props would elevate the performance. Simmons purchased a used 2002 Kawaski motorcycle, and Serena Wright, assistant technical director, deconstructed the bike and rebuilt it to be one of the key props driving the musical’s plot.
No spoilers here, but the functionality of the motorcycle plays a key role in some of the characters’ challenges. Featured in four scenes, students learned to maneuver the heavy bike around the stage.
Before the motorcycle was ready for the stage though, Wright and Simmons carefully removed the bike’s engine and replaced it with a lighter-weight foam replica. To date the 2002 motorcycle according to the 1955 setting, Wright and Simmons redesigned and tweaked the bike’s frame, including removing the bike’s shocks and replacing them with new frame pieces.
Tickets to see All Shook Up and the motorcycle are still available for Thursday, Feb. 3 at 7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 4 at 7 p.m., and Saturday, Feb. at 2 p.m. All Shook Up is appropriate for children aged 13 and up. Please visit the ticketing webpage for more information.
