In William Shakespeare’s monologue from As You Like It, he wrote that “all the world’s a stage and all men and women merely players.”

For the students who auditioned for the theater department’s upcoming productions of “Almost, Maine,” which will run from April 4 through 14 and “The Anniversary Plays: New Play Festival,” which will run from May 8 through 11, nothing could be more true.

The dimly lit lobby of the auditorium building was filled with students vigorously rehearsing their one-minute monologues.

Some students mimed the words and actions of their characters without making a sound while they practiced in the minutes before they auditioned.

Some loudly practiced with big gestures and wild movements. One student break danced while he waited, and in between moves would recite his lines. For these students “All the world’s a stage” is more of a way of life than simple words. They all come from different walks of life, but for some of them it is the love of the stage that they have in common.

Ren Madlangsakay is the vice president of the theatre guild at Glendale Community College, who, despite being a child development major, has a love for the theater that led her to audition for her first play at GCC. “[The audition process] is a good opportunity to see what actors [at GCC] can bring”.

Courtney Crudele, who’s been acting since she was 12, said that a love for storytelling is what brought her to acting.

“Almost, Maine” is a series of seven two-person vignettes. All centered in the fictional town of Almost. It delves into the vast ocean that is love and all the feelings that encompass it, without losing its comedic side. It is a comedy full of complex characters that these students are more than willing to tackle.

In “The Anniversary Plays” each of the seven plays is ten minutes long, all centered around the theme of birthdays and anniversaries in celebration of GCC’s 85th anniversary.

Another interesting aspect of the festival is that each play will be helmed by a guest director, each with their own vision for their piece, adding a unique angle for production staff members, including Dina Dominguez.

“The challenge of having different directors for each play is making sure they flow well from one into the other,” said Dominguez.

Creating a cohesive voice from 70 minutes of different storylines is a challenge that these actors will look to meet head on, because “All the world’s a stage” and their love for that stage shows.