The fantasy begins with Beowulf, and what follows is perhaps the most original adaptation of the classics written for stage. Chaucer melds with the Arabian Nights. King Arthur encounters Robin Hood for the first time in history. Who would have thought one play could incorporate so many of the beloved classics?

    But that is what Myndi Lawrence does best. She writes and directs plays for ISI (Iron Sharpens Iron) homeschool co-op, and she has staged four of her original compositions. Her favorite is the one just illustrated: “The Students’ Nightmare,” a raucous account of literature students who fall asleep during study, only to find themselves transported to a strange Medieval/Renaissance. The entire scenario might seem overwhelming, but for Myndi it’s fuel. She loves attacking ten challenges at once.

    Myndi’s journey as a playwright began with an adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey for ISI Homeschool Community Co-op, a group based on the Tapestry of Grace curriculum. According to the core values of Tapestry of Grace (Christian, Classical, and Charlotte Mason) the subjects of history, literature, memory, and theatre are necessary for a successful education. As a method of combining all four, Myndi’s play was required for every student enrolled in ISI. By the end of that first production, it was clear Myndi had achieved success: the students wanted to participate again.

     The most challenging part of adapting classics, Myndi said, is to take the important parts and create scenes feasible for both her and her actors. Often as she’s fashioning countless props during Tech Week, she finds herself thinking: “Who is the idiot who wrote this play? Oh, it was me.”  But setting boundaries forces her to be original. When she wrote her version of the Odyssey, Myndi set it in nine different scenes, which, she said, was ridiculous. Now, she keeps the limit at four, and enjoys improvisation.

            The effortless way Myndi handles challenges is yet another testimony to her creativity and versatility, and her excited yet level charisma is the perfect link to her job: producing actors and productions at the same time.