Author: Shakespeare For Our Children

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.

Leap Years bring up all kinds of associations. Take, for example, the notion that traditional roles in marriage proposals can be reversed, with the woman asking the man for his hand. (This is hardly something that Shakespeare’s King Henry could have imagined!) Or how about the idea that leap year babies are lucky ― after all, only one in thousands is born on this rare day. 

This leap year, we propose that you ― as parents and / or teachers ― ask your young actors to try their luck by taking on a part, monologue, or scene that they would not have thought of before. We’ve written before about how to make reserved children feel more confident in taking on challenging roles; we’ve also talked about expanding our understanding of what makes a stage. Now, you can bring these approaches together to awaken your students’ enthusiasm for the unexpected: If you have a “class clown” who might usually play comic roles, suggest that they try a more dramatic speech. Or if you have a student who craves the spotlight all the time, ask them to help out behind-the-scenes. And since Spring is just around the corner, why not leave the classroom or drama studio behind to perform in a garden or park. It may be that you, as a teacher / parent, also have to break out of some ingrained habits. Remember, there is a part for everyone in every kind of production.

The most important thing is that your young actors feel safe and confident. Don’t push anyone too hard ― but do remind them of the adventure and excitement of trying new things. Leap year brings an extra day, and with it, the gift of even more possibilities. Above all, show how a new responsibility or challenge is really about the students taking a leap of faith ― in themselves!

We all know that January is a time of new beginnings, a point to reflect on the past and act upon resolutions for a better future. It could even be said that January is a prologue for the year to come: a month in which to establish the patterns — or set the scene! — for what will happen next.

In Shakespeare’s world, one of the most compelling prologues features in Romeo and Juliet. (Listen to it above.) Spoken by a Chorus, the prologue introduces the audience to the tale of these “star-cross’d lovers” whose deaths end the feud between their families. The words give a sense of fate to the scenes that follow, revealing at the very start the tragic end that awaits the characters. In this way, the romance of the play is already tempered with sadness. 

Beyond its significance to the play itself, however, the prologue also provides a solid “starter monologue” for young actors who might feel less confident. Rather than having to bring a character to life or engage in a scene with other children, the more hesitant performer can concentrate on simply outlining the story of Romeo and Juliet. The language is powerful but not intimidating, and the tone can be neutral or as dramatic as the child can manage. In this variation on the role of the Narrator, any child could feel comfortable and in control of the material, establishing a foundation for tackling more complex roles and monologues.

The prologue is, after all, only a place to begin!

Over the years, we at Shakespeare For Our Children have seen the Holiday Season through a dramatic lens. Our bands of young actors have done readings from A Winter’s Tale on frosty December evenings and staged Twelfth Night to celebrate the 6^th of January (the Feast of the Epiphany — a time to have fun!) . . . and instead of singing Christmas carols door-to-door, we have recited from the Sonnets. 

What we hope to create with these activities is a sense of shared joy in the season. Families and friends come together for festive parties, and lights are lit in the early winter nights on Christmas trees and menorahs. Shakespeare’s words are another light guiding us from one season to the next — bringing together the speaker of those words and the listener. After all, inasmuch as a theatrical performance can create a bond between the actor and an audience at any point . . . how especially meaningful that bond is at this time, as we reflect on the past and celebrate the new year to come.

And so, we wish you all a blessed and happy Holiday Season — or to quote from A Midsummer Night’s Dream: “Joy, gentle friends! Joy and fresh days of love accompany your hearts!”

‘Tis the Halloween season again, which brings us to the spookier side of Shakespeare! In the past, we have talked about Macbeth and the Three Witches, Hamlet and his father’s ghost ― but what about the bringing together Shakespeare and the great art of trick-or-treating? 

This year, try taking the show on the road. Instead of saying “Trick or Treat!” when a neighbour answers the door, suggest that your young actors quote a particularly scary line from Macbeth. Almost anything from the Three Witches would be appropriate. (“Fair is foul, and foul is fair / Hover through the fog and filthy air.”)

Or what about dressing up as Hamlet for Halloween? Any costume would make a dramatic statement, and the skull that Hamlet ponders later in the play (“Alas, poor Yorick . . .”) would be a perfect accessory! Just follow Richard Burton’s lead in this clip.

For those young people not interested in exploring the darker side of Shakespeare, remind them that they can dress up as one of the fairies from A Midsummer Night’s Dream – or even Bottom, with his donkey’s head!

As we declared in our last post, “we can make any world a stage!” . . . and there’s no time better than on Halloween.

©2019

In Act 2, Scene 7 of As You Like It, the character of Jacques reminds us that “all the world’s a stage”– bringing to mind the various parts we play not only throughout our lives, but in our day-to-day interactions. Here, we want to talk about worlds and stages in a more literal sense: thinking, that is, about how and where plays can be put on.

Everyone reading this blog will be working with young actors across a variety of contexts – formal classrooms, home-schooling spaces, maybe even a neighbourhood play group. The facilities will, by necessity, be different in each; some of you may have dedicated auditoriums where bigger plays can be staged, and others will be turning their living rooms into a theatre! And that versatility is what we want to celebrate. 

Such is the beauty of Theatre as a work of imagination: We do not need a formal stage or fancy costumes; we do not have to wait for the “perfect moment” to stage a production. On rainy days when the kids cannot go out to play, a sheet or tablecloth can become a backdrop against which they speak their lines. On crisp Autumn afternoons, a park or the backyard becomes an outdoor theatre with a blanket, snacks, and a book of Shakespeare’s Sonnets to read aloud. 

If indeed “all the world’s a stage,” then think of all the opportunities for putting on a show! The magic of Theatre can take place literally anywhere you can bring together actors and an audience – and, most importantly, the transformative power of Shakespeare’s words. 

For every child, parent, and teacher, the end of Summer brings reflection on good times had, as well as anticipation of experiences to come. As we meet another Autumn, what better moment to celebrate Shakespeare’s own evocation of the seasons? 

Miriam Weiner’s children’s book Shakespeare’s Seasons, illustrated by Shannon Whitt, offers a glimpse of the Bard’s perspectives on Nature and the passing of time. We especially love the collages in this book; each image practically springs from the page with vibrancy and texture. Weiner and Whitt have chosen thought-provoking excerpts from sonnets and plays, from the classic “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day” to The Winter’s Tale – all ‘Shakespeare For Our Children’ favorites! 

It can be hard to go back to school, no question.

But through Shakespeare’s words, Weiner and Whitt remind us of the wondrous possibilities of each Season.

Part of our approach to teaching Shakespeare has always been to think about his words as spoken music. This concept helps young actors consider how to give each word its value as they become accustomed to the rhythm of the dialogue. What also deserves attention is Shakespeare’s incorporation of actual music in his plays. From tragedies to comedies, Shakespeare would include songs both to heighten the action and provide a further level of entertainment to his audience. We can see and hear this in works as varied as “Oh Mistress Mine” from Twelfth Night (Act 2, Scene 3) and the songs that signal Ophelia’s descent into madness in Hamlet.

In whatever context, songs and music provide an excellent way to engage students in a production. This is especially true of those children who might not feel confident enough to take on a full role but would enjoy singing as part of a chorus (as in, for instance, the Fairy Lullaby in A Midsummer Night’s Dream). The use of music in the plays also provides opportunities for working with those in other performing arts – think about music teachers with whom you could collaborate, and whose students might want to form a small musical “troupe” to accompany the actors.

And never forget to include music as an inspirational background to rehearsals! Mendelssohn’s scoring of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, or Prokofiev’s music for the Romeo and Juliet ballet, are easily accessible and provide the finest scene-setting soundtrack. The most important thing is that students understand Shakespeare’s works as vibrant and multi-faceted – and music is key in helping young actors bring those works to life.

In Act 2, Scene 1 of The Tempest, the character of Antonio declares to his comrade, “What’s past is prologue, what to come / In yours and my discharge.” Though fairly sinister in its context — Antonio is trying to convince his companion to commit a murder! — the statement has since been adopted to convey the dialogue between past, present, and future. How many of us have looked back on the events that shaped our present moment, or considered how a choice made today would influence “what to come”?

As adult as these concerns seem — however mature this relationship to time — these kinds of questions are also helpful when working with young actors. Think, for instance, about how challenging it can be for children to relate to the roles they take on. If and when this happens, you can ask them: Are there moments in your background that remind you of the character’s situation? What memories of past experiences can shape your approach to the future performance?

Playing a part in a play is not just about discovering a character; it is about an actor discovering more about themselves.

So much of Theatre evokes a world of imagination, possibility — and even hope — for the audience. All of these elements call upon the actor’s own connection to the role: “what’s past is prologue” to their interpretation of a given part . . . “what to come” is in their control.

©2019

Just as Shakespeare’s plays offer dramatic worlds complete in themselves, by turns full of Romance, Comedy, and Tragedy, so too do his Sonnets present perfectly-crafted expressions of experience. Each only 14 lines, the Sonnets are exquisite mediations on love and art itself.

None is more famous than Sonnet 8, “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day?” We have discussed its particular lyricism here; but as we are properly on the threshold of summer, the words have all the more impact. Children and teachers alike will now be counting the days to vacation, and so will find special meaning in this sonnet. When Shakespeare writes of the sun as “the eye of heaven,” how vividly it brings to mind the long and lazy days of the season. And the “darling buds of May” — even if shaken by “rough winds” — capture the promise of summer blossoms. 

Certainly all would agree that “summer’s lease hath all too short a date”(!). Of course, Shakespeare explores the qualities of the season in order to juxtapose the vagaries of nature with the constancy — the “eternal summer” — of his beloved.

But how well too the strength of his imagery captures our broader, and equally eternal, love affair with summer itself.