Gobbling Shakespeare
by Shay Seaborne
The subject of Shakespeare came up in a discussion at a meeting I attended some time ago. One of the educators in the group, a school teacher, asserted that there is so much to teach about the Bard that one could hardly know where to begin. Her statement came across as half wistful and half cautionary, with the underlying advice, "so don't bother trying." I sat dumbstruck as the conversation went off into other directions. I could hardly believe what I had heard. Don't bother with Shakespeare? But my children have enjoyed his works since they were quite young. Why shouldn't every child have the opportunity?
Caitlin and Laurel's first exposure to Shakespeare was storyteller Jim Weiss' recording of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "The Taming of the Shrew." Years later, the girls are still enjoying it. This is because Weiss succeeds in preserving much of the language and beauty of Shakespeare, while spinning a story that appeals to virtually everyone.
When The Puppet Co. theatre put on a production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," I coordinated a homeschool group trip to see the performance, so we could take advantage of the group discount rate for tickets. As part of our preparation for that event, we rented the 1999 version of "A Midsummer's Night's Dream" from the local video store, and read the picture book version of the story written by Bruce Coville with lovely illustrations by Dennis Nolan. In addition, we pulled out our copy of Marcia Williams' "Tales from Shakespeare," which presents seven plays in comic strip form. By the performance date of the puppet show, my girls and I had become familiar with the story enough to thoroughly enjoy the show, which stoked the children's interest in learning more about Shakespeare. This prompted me to call the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., to ask for a recommendation of books that would satisfy young children's appetites. The librarian assured me that "Stories from Shakespeare," by Marchette Chute, was the very best book, with expert retellings of all 36 First Folio plays. I found a copy on eBay, and soon the girls were reading more.
Before long, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts hosted performances of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" ballet, and my children were eager to see this new version of the story they had come to love.
In the meantime, they had read "King of Shadows," by Susan Cooper (juvenile fiction), about an American orphan who is chosen to perform at the new Globe Theatre in London. In addition, I took the girls and their friend to see "The Merchant of Venice" at the annual Shakespeare Free-for-All, performed by professional actors from The Shakespeare Theatre, but at a public amphitheater, at no charge. "Merchant" did not hold the children's interest as much as "Midsummer," but they were able to sit through and enjoy the first act. Although I really wanted to stay for the whole performance, I wanted to make sure the kids never came to see Shakespeare as torture, so we left when they were ready.
With all this Shakespeare under their belts, Caitlin and Laurel--now 15 and 12, respectively--were delighted to play roles in the
The girls each received a part in "Twelfth Night," and had a wonderful time rehearsing and performing. They continue to gobble Shakespeare. Both have repeatedly browsed Usborne's "The World of Shakespeare," for interesting tidbits, and even some photos of costumes for the characters they played.
My older daughter, Caitlin, read "Brush Up Your Shakespeare," by Michael Macrone, a guide to the most famous expressions from the Bard. She also enjoyed and recommends a series of three young adult fiction books by Gary Blackwood, "The Shakespeare Stealer," "Shakespeare's Scribe," and "Shakespeare's Spy." Cait likes them because well written, fairly historically accurate (aside from that the protagonist helped the Bard write two plays), and the stories are engaging--although she feels the start of the first volume is slow, and recommends skipping it.
Laurel's 18" doll--an aftermarket, stuff-it-yourself version of The American Girls--Laura, often wears her Medieval gown that Caitlin made from red velvet scavenged from a garment in the $.25 bin at the local thrift store. Tied with a sash made from a length of golden cord from the scrap bag, the gown is also embellished with a small dirk given to Laurel by a fellow homeschool mom who understands the value of tiny trappings. As I wrote this, Laurel was referencing the Bellerophon coloring book titled "Renaissance," in drawing a tapestry for Laura, so the doll could hang it on her wall and enjoy the decoration.
Even I have rediscovered the excitement of Shakespeare, and watched Julie Taymor's dazzling film, "Titus." The film is much too graphic for children, and many adults find it disturbing, but it is a remarkable production, and Anthony Hopkins plays the lead role to perfection.
Yes, there is "much ado" about Shakespeare, but that is no reason to give in to despair! Begin where you are, take it slow, start out simple, check out some of the links below, and perhaps your children will come to love the language, the drama, and the stories of the world's most famous playwright. Who knows where it will take you?
-Shay
"Shakespeare for Children" Sound Recording Jim Weiss' recording of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "The Taming of the Shrew." He offers many other wonderful recordings of classic stories that appeal to the whole family.
PBS's "In Search of Shakespeare" This phenomenally extensive site is truly the only portal you need to find Shakespeare on the Web, but I include others of my favorites so you can find them directly. Interdisciplinary lesson plans for elementary, middle and high school students, print and online resources, multimedia digital library, a tool for finding the Shakespeare-related educational opportunities nearest you, and more!
Shakespearean Insulter Some insults are apparently random, while others include reference to the work from which they were excerpted.
Free Shakespeare Educational Resource Packet Educational outreach is an integral component of the tours. The Arts Endowment has developed an educational resource packet that includes a video and CD; a timeline poster of Shakespeare's life and times; guidelines for conducting recitation contests; a booklet for teachers with sample lesson plans; and essays on Shakespeare and Elizabethan theater. Print materials are also available to download.
Shakespeare Catalog Social Studies School Services offers an online and print catalog with gobs of materials! Search by grade range, by media, or by play. Being a shoestring homeschooler, I like to read about the products and then find deals on them at eBay or through Froogle.com.
Host a Shakespearean Feast Tips for the host, recipes, what to wear, and more.
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Online
SparkNotes' Shakespeare Study Guides
Cliffs Notes Shakespeare View Cliffs Notes on several of the Bard's works, for free!
(c) 2004, 2005. Shay Seaborne. Orignially published in the October 2004 issue of HEM's Online Newsletter