High school celebrates Shakespearean culture

At first, everything appeared normal at Bloomington High School South on Tuesday morning.
 
That is, until a girl walked down the hall wearing a long, flowing mint-green dress. With braided hair and puffy sleeves, she looked like she had stepped out of another century.

The girl in the green, along with many other students, participated in Talk Like Shakespeare Day.

The high school’s English department had been inspired by the city of Chicago’s idea to have a citywide Talk Like Shakespeare Day.

“We know (Shakespeare’s plays) have relevance, and we know they have these universal themes,” English teacher Kristin Winton said. “But the language gets in the way, so this was something to help with that.”

The English department, a theater production class and other students worked to bring Shakespeare to life every class period Tuesday.

 Students acted out key scenes from “Romeo and Juliet,” answered trivia questions, dressed in costumes and swapped insults in Shakespearean English.

“There’s a wooing corner where kids have written Shakespearean compliments,” Winton said. “There’s also a sparring corner where kids have written Shakespearean insults. Shakespeare was famous for his insults.”

Junior Dakota Brown was master of ceremonies for the day’s performances, claiming the duty was “bestowed upon me.”

Brown said he wasn’t nervous about performing in front of his peers.

“At this point I’m so used to making a fool out of myself it just comes,” Brown said.

As English classes flooded the auditorium, Brown took center stage to kick off the Shakespeare-themed variety show.

“Now yonder people, we shall start this off very well,” Brown said in a fake British accent.

All BHSS freshmen read “Romeo and Juliet” in English class, so Brown opened with a few trivia questions from the play.

“How does Romeo persuade the apothecary to provide the poison?” Brown once again yelled in his fake British accent.

When audience members answered correctly, Brown threw them a souvenir T-shirt. The “Will Power” white T-shirts bore pictures of Shakespeare.

Brown is in Catharine Rademacher’s theater production class. Rademacher’s entire class donned full Shakespeare costumes, including puffy sleeves, britches and tights, to run the show.

“They’re doing a lot of the talent and performing three key scenes from ‘Romeo and Juliet,’” Rademacher said.

The theater class had less than two weeks of rehearsal.

When asked what the most difficult part of preparation was, the theater students resoundingly screamed, “Lines!”

Even though Rademacher signed up for the event to help the English department, she said performing a Shakespeare variety show was good training for her students.

“It’s a good acting experience for them to think on the fly,” Rademacher said.

Brown confirmed this.

“There’s only so much preparation you can do,” Brown said. “I just literally do it as it comes. It’s 100 percent improvisation.”

Shakespeare Quick Facts

Where was he born?
It is assumed it was in Stratford-upon-Avon since he was baptized April 26, 1564, at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford.

How many plays did he write?
37, along with 154 sonnets.

What is his most famous play?
To most academics, “Hamlet.” In popular culture, “Romeo and Juliet.”

Did he know more than English?
Yes, he was such a successful businessman that in 1597, he bought one of the most prestigious properties in all of Stratford, the New Place. He later bought more land which doubled his investment.

Did he fall in love?
Yes. At age 18, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, a woman eight years his senior. They stayed married until Shakespeare died in 1616 at age 52.

Did he really act in any of his plays?
Yes, he did. Besides performing in many of his own plays with his theater company, The Lord Chamberlain’s Men (changed to The King’s Men to honor James I in 1603), Shakespeare acted in Ben Jonson’s play “Sejanus” in 1603.

Is it true that only men performed in his plays?
Yes, it was illegal for women to act. Female characters were played by young boys.

Does he really look like his famous portrait?
Yes, scholars believe this portrait was painted when Shakespeare was 46 years old.

How did he die?
Local tradition has it that Shakespeare became ill and died April 23, 1616.


Source: www.absoluteshakespeare.com