ACT'S 'SHAKESPEARE: OUTSIDE THE BOX'
SHAKESPEARE: OUTSIDE THE BOX
ACT’s Shakespeare: Outside the Box workshop is designed to show how Shakespeare’s plays are as accessible to participants and audiences today as they were four hundred years ago. His plays are filled with jealousy, betrayal, war, love and humor. Scenarios include unrequited love (Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night), bullying (Twelfth Night, The Tempest), parent/child relationships (King Lear, The Tempest, Twelfth Night and Romeo and Juliet) or ambition in Macbeth. Our workshops will enliven Shakespeare for youth in grades three to twelve as we take them outside the box.
We bring Shakespeare’s plays to life by conceptualizing and acting scenes which we place in video games, post-apocalyptic worlds, rock concerts, shopping malls, school dances or social media for example. We use social issues of today’s world and the interests of youth that are easily identifiable to participants and audiences to enact our scenes. Costumes, props, masks and swaths of fabric are used to create sets and costumes. An African drum, bells, kazoos, rain sticks, ocean tub sound, tambourine and additional percussion instruments are used to create music and sound effects as the youth self-direct, design and act their chosen scenes and monologues. Please contact ACT for a sample lesson plan.
“The very nature of theatre arts addresses all of the 4 C’s. Critical thinking, Creativity, Collaboration and Communication are natural partners in theatre education. Additionally, the (SEL), social emotional learning categories of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship and responsible decision making skills are ever present in theatre education. I have always used the Socratic Method when teaching (and directing) theatre classes as I involve the participants in questioning the ‘why’ we do the activities we do and after each class I ask the group ‘What went well today?’ ‘What could have gone better?’ I ask them what my most important rule is in class? (Kindness). Theatre arts involves trust, innocence, courage, imagination, give/take, listening & responding and working together.” Please look at the final evaluation from a class during my Project Lift residency. https://actartisticdir1.wixsite.com/my-site-1 on the Education/Playwright page.
Dr. Wrenn Goodrum, ACT Artistic Director
WORKSHOP ACTIVITIES
The workshops are designed to suit each grade level (4-12) and to work within your timetable. Presentations within a classroom are held for three-day residencies. A presentation for all classrooms will be held for five-day residencies. Plays to choose from are: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet, King Lear, Twelfth Night, The Tempest and Macbeth. Activities include:
Vocal work using articulation exercises and Shakespeare’s Insults.
Drama Games are used to explore the characters, stories, themes and words of Shakespeare in an educational and fun way.
Speaking Shakespeare activities are used to understand the rhythm, emotion and actions in the verse.
Acting Shakespeare uses scenes from the plays to understand the themes of the play and motives of the characters.
Shakespeare: Outside the Box uses all of the activities to create and perform scenes in a way accessible to the students.
Dr. Goodrum has directed over twenty productions of Shakespeare, setting them in 1950’s rock n’ roll, 1969 Moon Landing, Punk Rock World, A Post-Apocalyptic Island, Video World of War, Woodstock 1969 and many other out of the box conceptualizations. Please see her website
https://actartisticdir1.wixsite.com/my-site-1
For additional information about ACT’s programs
www.activatecommunitythroughtheatre.com
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