Things have changed in the world since the last post. In February, we explored different leaps of faith which could be taken; now, we want to find ourselves on firmer ground. In the midst of global turmoil, Shakespeare has proven himself to be just such a centering point. Sir Patrick Stewart, for example, is reading a Sonnet a day so that audiences can access beauty and wisdom in a time of crisis.
This gracious act brings up various issues that we at Shakespeare For Our Children have recently explored: the fact that any world can be a stage; the way that we draw from the past to guide us in the present and the future. Stewart has turned his home into a stage, which is then shared with millions of people on any number of “theatres” (computers, iPads, phones). More than this, he has turned to centuries-old works to help make sense of ― and to offer an escape from ― a troubled present.
Actors and audiences have found strength in and inspiration from Shakespeare for hundreds of years; and may they continue to do so for hundreds more. He himself is the “ever-fixed mark / that looks on tempests and is never shaken.” So as you and your families ride out this storm, turn to Shakespeare: learn some speeches and scenes; put on shows and tell his stories. Celebrate the magic that he provided in the past ― and claim part of it for our own lives now.