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Among the most quoted words from Hamlet ― and indeed Shakespeare’s entire body of work ― is the phrase, “The play’s the thing.” Appearing at the end of Act II, Scene 2, the phrase refers to Hamlet’s plan to stage a play dramatizing the murder of his father. Longing to provoke a confession of guilt from his murderous uncle Claudio, the young prince declares: “The play’s the thing / Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king.”

Considered within the context of Hamlet’s obsession with avenging his father’s death, the quotation speaks to both ingenuity and desperation. Yet in itself, “the play’s the thing” has entered popular culture as a means of expressing the importance of the theatrical experience.

That is certainly how we used it in our SFOC productions. It became a statement of purpose both when we talked about the possibilities for a future production – “Remember, the play’s the thing!” ― as well as in those more intensive periods of behind-the-scenes preparation. Whenever one of our young actors came to rehearsals without knowing their lines, the rest of the troupe would chorus, “The play’s the thing!”

Minor questions about such things as costume details (or who had the bigger part), were often resolved with a gentle reminder that these personal issues had little place in the production itself. After all . . . “the play’s the thing.” Parents and teachers know well how hard it can be to impress upon children a sense of responsibility. What “the play’s the thing” offered to our performers was a means of expressing the importance of coming together to serve a greater purpose ― and, at the same time, understanding the privilege of doing so.

Now that Spring has sprung, it seems appropriate to highlight a particularly lovely book: Shakespeare’s Flowers, written by Jessica Kerr (with illustrations by Anne Ophelia Dowden). First published in 1969 and still available here, this insightful and highly readable work traces the significance of flowers across Shakespeare’s oeuvre. 

Given the complexity of Shakespeare’s characterizations, it is easy to consider the plays as explorations of purely human nature. As Kerr points out, though, the myriad depictions of flowers attest to the symbolic language of the botanical world. “Shakespeare liked to use flowers as images to illustrate his ideas about people,” Kerr writes, noting that they helped to convey “what [individuals] looked like, their characters, and their actions.” Whether discussing Ophelia’s wildflowers or the “rose by any other name” invoked by Juliet, the magical blossoms in A Midsummer Night’s Dream or the daffodils of A Winter’s Tale, Kerr captures the spectrum of Shakespeare’s natural imagery.

Yet there is also the historical importance of these images to consider. According to Kerr, Shakespeare’s writing gives us a “wonderful picture of the English countryside and of the gardens and flowers” which featured in his personal landscape. In so engaging with the flowers that populate his plays, we are implicitly engaging with the natural world as Shakespeare knew it. And that, as Kerr reminds us, could be as dramatic as any theatrical stage!

©2019

As part of our Treasure Trove series in which we highlight wonderful resources, we at Shakespeare For Our Children want to recommend an exciting BBC documentary entitled “Opera, Ballet and the Bard” – watch it here. This hour-long production (originally streamed live) offers an in-depth exploration of how Shakespeare’s works gain new life in dance and music. 

Not only does the documentary present innovative interpretations of familiar pieces, but it also shows the rehearsal process for dancers and singers as they hone their performances. It is a marvellous opportunity for children to see how professionals approach their craft – and it may even inspire the young performers to rehearse with all the more zeal and determination!

Also striking is how Shakespeare’s words “translate” to different art forms – how the turn of a line is paralleled in a given melody or series of dance steps. Ultimately, a production such as this helps students understand Shakespeare’s own infinite variety.

As we discussed in a recent post, Measure for Measure invites its audience to think about the ways that “our doubts are traitors” standing in the way of positive action. Though she is hesitant at first, heroine Isabella must overcome her own doubts and plead with Duke Angelo for her brother’s life. 

In this exchange from Act II, Scene 1, the Duke insists that the young man must be punished for his crime. (Listen below.) Isabella, though, makes her appeal with a mixture of reason and emotion. She asks the Duke to imagine himself in her brother’s place — and to appreciate the latter’s benevolence: “If he had been as you, and you as he / You would have slipp’d like him; but he, like you / Would not have been so stern.” Which is to say — as Isabella conveys — mercy born of understanding could mean the difference between life and death. 

The stakes are at their very highest here, but they find a more everyday parallel in a teacher’s own negotiation of difficult situations. As educators, we aim to know “the rules” of everything from the classroom to the playground, and we try to instil their importance in our students. But like the Duke, we are often faced with moments when it is more important to open our eyes to a student’s unique circumstances than to follow blindly the rules of crime-and-punishment.

We earn respect from our students so that we can run our classrooms and teach them as best we can. But like the Duke, sometimes we must learn that, in Isabella’s words, “No ceremony that to great ones longs [ . . . ] become[s] them with one half so good a grace / as mercy does.”

©2019

In his comedy Twelfth Night, Shakespeare famously wrote, “If music be the food of love, play on.” As the Holiday Season is upon us, we are indeed faced with a veritable kaleidoscope of festivities – and any number of moments in which we all “play on”! From Christmas shopping to Thanksgiving dinners, lighting the Hanukkah candles to wrapping presents, this is a time of high cheer and good fun.

Yet with the season can come an underlying chaos, and at times, it is essential to pause and find moments of serenity. We at Shakespeare For Our Children suggest making the Bard your holiday oasis. More lilting than any Christmas carol, Shakespeare’s words can help introduce a meditative rhythm to all of the hustle and bustle. Listen here to the Twelfth Night piece mentioned above, or read aloud a scene from the play. Or, if you’re feeling introspective, explore “To Be or Not To Be”! Restorative and engaging, sharing these works of art – or just keeping them as a present to yourself – will help make the Holiday Season all the more joyous.

In Act I, Scene 4 of Measure for Measure, heroine Isabella learns that her brother Claudio has been sentenced to death. Lucio, his friend, urges a reluctant Isabella to plead with the stern Duke Angelo on her brother’s behalf: “Our doubts are traitors/ And make us lose the good we oft might win/ By fearing to attempt.”

A few posts ago, we talked about strategies for making more reserved children feel confident in taking to the stage; certainly Shakespeare’s words would be enormously persuasive. There is something about the personification of those doubts – characterising them as “traitors” rather than formless feelings – that can help children identify the danger they present.

Yet how applicable these lines are to any number of situations, for children and adults alike! Shakespeare explores these issues of selfhood across his works – take Hamlet’s “To Be or Not to Be” soliloquy as the most famous example. In Lucio’s expression above, Shakespeare highlights the treachery that we risk committing against ourselves. In acknowledging those traitors as such, even as they tell us to hesitate or not try at all, we come closer to keeping them silent.

As the play continues, Isabella overcomes those doubts and indeed intervenes on her brother’s behalf. Stay tuned for our next post, when we look more closely at Isabella and Angelo’s encounter!

It’s almost Halloween, and so time to reflect on some of Shakespeare’s more chilling moments! In an earlier post, we explored the eerie impact of Hamlet’s fateful meeting with his father’s ghost. Setting the tone for the ensuing exploration of revenge and madness, this Act I, Scene 5 encounter introduces a supernatural quality that shades the entire play.

Arguably one of the more sinister statements made by Hamlet’s father ― identified only as Ghost in the text ― relates to Gertrude, his unfaithful wife who is now married to his brother. Even as the Ghost seeks vengeance for his murder, he advises Hamlet not to include his mother in any such plots. “[L]eave her to heaven,” he admonishes, “And to those thorns that in her bosom lodge / To prick and sting her.”

Hundreds of years later, Hollywood would produce its own variation on this theme with Leave Her to Heaven (1945). Based on the novel of the same name and starring the marvelous Gene Tierney, the film traces the machinations of a most destructive femme fatale. Like Gertrude, she is beyond earthly justice ― instead, she carries within her the “thorns” of her own undoing.

Leave Her to Heaven is a golden-age classic that, admittedly, might be better Halloween viewing for parents and teachers than their young performers! But no matter its audience, the film illustrates just how close the Elizabethan stage is to the Silver Screen.

©2018

Over the years at ‘Shakespeare For Our Children’ we have been so fortunate to have taught enormously enthusiastic young actors. One of the rewards of introducing children to Shakespeare is being able to watch them bring centuries-old words alive ― before anyone can tell them that the plays are “boring.”

That being said, anyone who has taught any subject understands that there are moments that can test even the most dedicated educator. One challenge is impressing upon students the need to learn their lines and get “off-book” (!). These situations can be a case of extremes: there are performers who know everyone else’s lines as well as their own, and then other children who never want to let go of their scripts. This can come from shyness or insecurity, or perhaps a reluctance to spend the time it takes to memorize their part.

Some students may find that they would rather be part of the valuable behind-the-scenes team; still others may need more personalised support. One strategy is to remind the child that each performance is a privilege ― a chance to transport the audience into stories of drama or comedy, romance or tragedy. By focusing on what each word will bring to the audience, you  remind the student that it is not about learning something for its own sake, but about sharing that knowledge with others.

As Marchette Chute reminds us in An Introduction to Shakespeare, the Bard used “poetry as a tool for his stagecraft,” evoking entire worlds on even the barest stages. And as actors, it is essential to become fluent in that poetry to make the audience’s journey worthwhile.

As the new school year gets underway, we would like to introduce a series of posts devoted to “Treasure Troves” — excellent and easily-accessible resources that will help illuminate Shakespeare’s work for students and teachers alike.

The first of these is the Folger Shakespeare Library’s Digital Image Collection, which we use regularly to illustrate our blog posts. It is a kaleidoscope of paintings, photographs, and various other renderings of Shakespeare’s works and world — simply search for the title of a play, a particular character, even a biographical / historical reference, and then delight in the results!

We especially enjoy the sketches for various costumes and sets. These offer myriad perspectives on how a given play may be brought to life, and provide discussion points for young people who will have their own image of a work in mind.

There are times when it can be difficult to see live theatre, or to find the appropriate film adaptation of a given play. But thanks to the Digital Image Collection, young people can find any number of visual aids that will bring Shakespeare’s writings to life.

Browse the Digital Image Collection here.

©2018

Last time, we posted about the charm of Beatrice and Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing, which certainly speaks for itself. But equally delightful is the way that their romance is set in motion by the machinations of their friends – Shakespearean matchmaking, if you will.

In this scene, Hero and Ursula put on a play of their own, acting out a rehearsed exchange meant to capture Beatrice’s attention and cement her interest in Benedick. The language, of course, is centuries old, but the sense of friendship is timeless. This scene also works perfectly alongside the Beatrice and Benedick material for classwork and performances. Think about the two dialogues as offering a strong narrative arc that takes the audience – and the actors – from puckish inciting action (Hero and Ursula’s plot) to romantic resolution.

Because the sophistication of the scenes increases over this arc, the two excerpts are excellent for bringing different age groups together. In the past, we at Shakespeare For Our Children have given the parts of Hero and Ursula to younger children (7 – 9), while assigning the Beatrice and Benedick roles to older children (9 – 12).