King's Crown Shakespeare Troupe
The King's Crown Shakespeare Troupe (KCST for short) is a performing arts group dedicated primarily to free Shakespeare on Columbia's campus, although it produces four shows a year (two in the fall, two in the spring). Its primary claim to fame is its outdoor show in the spring of every school year. Other notable shows include the fall one-acts organized every other year and the Egg And Peacock festival of plays written, cast, directed and performed in a 24-hour time span.
History
KCST was founded in 1995 by a group of friends irritated at the Varsity Show's insularity and elitism at the time. They laid down the central tenets of the troupe as follows:
- All shows shall be free of charge (with donations accepted).
- Anyone who wants participate in the spring show shall be allowed to do so (this has often led to the creation of a "chorus" similar to the Varsity Show's, albeit one with no limits on membership).
Although at the time the group set itself up in direct opposition to the Varsity Show, with a smaller budget and larger heart, relationships between the two groups have become increasingly cordial as KCST expands its range beyond Shakespeare. Fall 2006 marked the first semester that the troupe elected not to perform a Shakespeare show when several were proposed, further broadening its appeal to those daunted or put off by the bard while maintaining its commitment to Shakespeare with the spring show.
CU Players was established following frustration with the lack of non-specialized straight drama groups on campus, and often cites KCST as a prime example, since its budget always is primarily devoted to the large Spring show and it often balks at straight drama, preferring experimental works such as bobrauchenbergamerica or black comedy such as WASP to pair off with the major shows.
Style
King's Crown's shows are famous for their wild and often innovative directorial choices, such as setting "Hamlet" in a nightmarish post-apocalyptic world (including a climactic chain-and-pipe fight in the pouring rain), casting a woman as the title character in "Richard III," or decking out the actors in "Troilus and Cressida" as football players.
As a group dedicated to non-elitist work, their casts often include first-years in starring roles alongside seniors and several grad students. "Pulling rank" is frowned upon, and attempts are made to avoid performers falling into "stock roles" (i.e., actors like Peter Mende-Siedlecki, known best for their comedy work, get cast as things like Horatio in "Hamlet," to great effect).
No group is without regulars. The KCST crowd can often be seen at 1020 or La Negrita on Wednesday nights for their famous "office hours," often commiserating with the various burnt-out Varsity Show participants.
List of productions
| Academic year | Spring production(s) | Fall production(s) |
| 2006-2007 | Much Ado About Nothing; Egg and Peacock 24-Hour Play Festival II | Fall One-Act Play Extravaganza, Vol. VI; bobrauschenbergamerica |
| 2005-2006 | Richard III; Egg And Peacock 24-Hour Play Festival I | The Merchant of Venice; WASP |
| 2004-2005 | Hamlet; Kaspar | Fall One-Act Play Extravaganza, Vol. V |
| 2003-2004 | The Tempest | Romeo and Juliet |
| 2002-2003 | Taming of the Shrew | Fall One-act Play Extravaganza, Vol. IV |
| 2001-2002 | King Lear | The Comedy of Errors |
| 2000-2001 | Twelfth Night | Fall One-act Play Extravaganza, Vol. III |
| 1999-2000 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Troilus and Cressida |
| 1998-1999 | Hamlet | Fall One-act Play Extravaganza, Vol. II |
| 1997-1998 | Much Ado About Nothing | Fall One-act Play Extravaganza, Vol. I |
| 1996-1997 | As You Like It | Macbeth |
| 1995-1996 | Macbeth | The Marriage of Bette and Boo |
| Spring 1995 | Romeo and Juliet |
- Spring 1998: Much Ado About Nothing
- Fall 1997: Fall One-act Play Extravaganza!, Vol. I
- Spring 1997: As You Like It
- Spring 1996: Macbeth
- Fall 1995: The Marriage of Bette and Boo
- Spring 1995: Romeo and Juliet
