An Elizabethan play set on a tropical beach in the 1960s. While this may seem like two ideas from opposite ends of the spectrum, Rena Cook, director of OU’s “The Two Gentlemen of Verona,” begs to differ.

OU School of Drama will be performing Shakespeare’s “The Two Gentlemen of Verona” starting today and running through Sunday in the Lab Theatre of Old Science Hall ­— but not as one would expect.

In order to allow students to experience Shakespeare in a whole different way, OU’s version of “The Two Gentlemen of Verona” will take on a beach scene set in the 1960s, Cook said.

“Placing it in the ’60s on a beach would give us that feel of fun, carefree, frolic-on-love kind of mood,” Cook said. “The show is very high energy.”

The show is chock-full of activities to achieve this purpose, including a luau, a song and dance number and even a live dog, Cook said.

“I wanted an environment where the actors could play freely and have fun without certain behavior and costume expectations weighing them down,” Cook said.

Set designer Catherine Diaz said she worked to create this upbeat and outdoorsy mood with a weathered boardwalk, bright colored and printed costumes, palm trees and surfboards — everything one could think of when it comes to a typical beach scenario.

“The process has been really creative and collaborative,” Cook said. “I have really relied on them to create things; a director can’t come up with all the ideas.”

And based upon her expressiveness of how the show has turned out thus far, Cook has yet to be disappointed.

Taking the lead of the show as the two gentlemen Valentine and Proteus are seniors Mitchell Reed and Jordan Blount.

“Individual performances are so strong, so layered, so detailed,” Cook said. “Every person has reached beyond what is normally expected of them and has grown as performers into really well developed, textured characters.”

Adding to the play’s uniqueness, each cast member has gone above and beyond to create a 1960s dance number for the curtain call.

“In every case the actors have far exceeded what you would typically expect from them. They have reached beyond their usual level of work,” Cook said, “It’s so wonderful to watch them succeeding in such a major way.”