Shakespeare in the Schools (SIS) returned to the virtual stage May 2021 with a performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream at Gunston Middle. This week, I got to do something that I have missed during the pandemic: perform a Shakespeare play! I joyfully took on the supporting roles of Lady Capulet and Tybalt in the most excellent and lamentable tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, performed for Thomas Jefferson Middle School.
The classroom teachers were invited to play along by performing the Prince’s speech: a warning against fighting in the streets of Verona.
SIS Teaching Artists are professional actors who know their way around a couplet. With just one day of rehearsal to go over fight choreography, costume pieces, and character choices, we were ready! Our SIS performances are under an hour in length-we leave the students with an act or two to explore on their own. We don’t want to give away the ending!
Following the performance, students get their turn to play with the text through SIS online workshops Improv Paraphrase, Clowning, Speak the Speech, and more!
These performances and workshops are made possible with funding from the Washington Forrest Foundation.
