A Quick Scene From the Bard (Student Short Film)

At a college cast party, Nick is trying to work up the nerve to talk to his long-time crush, Tiana, when he is offered something that will change his night for the better or worse.

“A Quick Scene From The Bard” is a Sheridan BFTV Core 2 short film written and directed by Anika Whalen-McKean, and produced by Kennedy Grant. In this film, adapted from Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, we follow Nick as he celebrates the end of his theatre group’s production of “Romeo and Juliet” at a raging cast party. One of the people in attendance is his long-time crush Tiana. Nervous to speak to her, Nick is offered a joint to ease his nerves by cast-mate Paul. Not only do the effects of this help Nick come out of his shell, but it also has the unexpected side effect of making the world around him one giant Shakespeare play. Tiana is now a vision, not only looking as though she stepped out of a fantasy world but also seems to be speaking in prose! Nick now has to get his act together to navigate this new setting and still impress the girl of his dreams.

“A Quick Scene From The Bard” is a film that tackles themes of love and self-confidence. Inspired by experiences from the writer's own high-school experiences, especially her years spent in the theatre community, this film will showcase relatable moments of budding relationships and self-growth.

Anika performed a production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” with her sixth-grade class and it helped to form her love of not only Shakespeare but theatre itself. She wanted to bring that whimsy and adventure to a different medium, so when prompted to write an adapted script, this play was the first thing on her mind. “A Quick Scene From The Bard” became a passion project of hers. The story and themes continued to feel relatable to her even in her college years and well past the point of early adolescence. She is extremely excited to bring this script to the screen!

The pre-production of this film is already well underway with a full crew formed, the script completed, and locations scouted. All donations and funding will be put towards Production Design, such as sets, decor, and props. It will also go towards costumes (both rented and purchased pieces), transportation for crew and talent to and from the set, catering, and more.

Any support will help us make this film possible and allow us to make this production a reality. If you feel inclined to donate, your name will be included in the credits at the end of the film under Special Thanks.

Thank you for reading and thank you for all of your support! It is appreciated more than you know.