Shakespeare goes back to school.
These thoughts cross the minds of young people today, as they encounter the Bard of Avon. And like inquiring minds everywhere they take his work as a challenge, almost a foreign language, but in the end, no more difficult than today’s smart phones or video games to figure out. Shakespeare could even quickly become a passion for some as they see the parallels from the past to the present.
“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers”—William Shakespeare, Henry V
We were fascinated as Shakespeare & Company’s Director of Education Kevin G. Coleman updated us via a press release on the company’s new winter session of its in-school residencies, which will culminate in three student productions starting at the end of this week. The Residencies are led by the company’s Education Artists, many of whom have previously taught in the well-known Fall Festival of Shakespeare program.
This year’s winter residency productions will feature two of Shakespeare’s most admired plays about significant historical figures. Henry V is Shakespeare’s timeless history about the courageous English ruler who led his troops to a miraculous victory at the Battle of Agincourt, while Julius Caesaris Shakespeare’s profound tragedy about the balance of duty and honor in ancient Rome.
Lenox Middle School
Lenox Middle School will perform Henry V on Friday, January 20th at 7:00pm. Company actors Brittany Morgan and Ryan Winkles, both of whom will be featured in The Learned Ladies at Shakespeare & Company this winter, are directing Lenox Middle School’s production of Henry V. HenryV will be performed by the school’s sixth, seventh and eighth grade classes will perform Friday, January 20th at 7:00pm. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students. Please note that if Lenox Middle School cancels school due to weather on Friday, their performance of Henry V will occur on Saturday, January 21st at 7:00pm. Please call the school to order tickets (413-637-5560), or pay at the door.
The Academy at Charlemont
The Academy at Charlemont will perform Julius Caesar on Thursday, February 9th – Saturday, February 11th at 7pm and 1pm on Saturday. Kelly Galvin, who will also appear in The Learned Ladies, and Carmen-Maria Mandley are leading The Academy at Charlemont with their production of Julius Caesar. For the Julius Caesar Grades 7 through 12 at The Academy at Charlemont (Middle & High School) will perform Thursday, February 9th at 7:00pm; Friday, February 10th at 7:00pm and Saturday, February 13 at 1:00pm & 7:00pm in the Recital Hall in Charlemont, MA. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. Call the school at 413-339-4912 for more information.
The Hayground School in Bridgehampton, NY
The Hayground School in Bridgehampton, NY will perform Henry V on Thursday, January 26th at 1pm and 6pm. Cecilia Turner, Conor Moroney, and Lezlie Lee are leading the Hayground School with Henry V. The Hayground School’s (Bridgehampton, NY) production will include all of its students, over 60 children ages 4 to 14, on Thursday, January 26th at 1pm and 6pm at the Bay Street Theater on Long Island. For ticket information, please contact 631-537-7068.
Final Performances, Ticket Information
For performance and specific ticket information and availabilities, it is best to call the individual schools for specific information.
The final performance for each Residency is a celebration of the students’ hard work and creativity, with leading roles shared by several students. In the weeks leading up to the final performances, Education Artists have worked with students after school, helping them develop theatrical skills and foster a sense of play. Residencies are an integral arm of S&Co.’s wide-reaching and nationally acclaimed Education Program, with Residencies at the Lenox Memorial Middle and High School occurring for almost the entirety of the Company’s 35-year history.
The Company’s award-winning Education Program is one of the most extensive theatre-in-education programs in the Northeast, and has reached over a million students since 1978 with innovative performances, workshops, and residencies including The New England Tour of Shakespeare, the Fall Festival of Shakespeare, Shakespeare & Young Company, Riotous Youth, Shakespeare in the Courts (with the Berkshire Juvenile Court), Shakespeare in our Schools: Workshops for Teachers and Actors, and the National Institute on Teaching Shakespeare, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Guided by Education Director Kevin G. Coleman and Associate Director of Education Jenna Ware, the Education Program received the prestigious Coming Up Taller Award in 2006, which is given by the President’s Committee for Arts and Humanities, and in 2005 it received the Commonwealth Award, the highest award for excellence in the arts, sciences, and humanities given by the state of Massachusetts. It was also the subject of an in-depth, two-year study by Harvard University’s Project Zero, which recommended national replication. The Education Program has been identified by the Arts Education Partnership and the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities as a Champion of Change.
The Education Program is focused on bringing Shakespeare into the lives of as many students and teachers as possible through an active exploration and performance of Shakespeare’s plays. The Residency program resumes this spring when Education Artists will work with Morris Elementary School in Lenox, MA, Richmond Consolidated School in Richmond, MA, and Williamstown Elementary School in Williamstown, MA.
For more information on the Company’s Winter and Spring Residency programs and other Education Programs, contact Associate Director of Education Jenna Ware at (413) 637-1199 ext. 172 or education@shakespeare.org.
*About Quills
Quills were the principal writing instrument from the 6th to the 19th century, the best of which were usually made from goose and swan feathers, and later, turkey feathers, However, quills went into decline after the invention of the metal pen, first patented in America in 1810 and then mass produced by 1860.
Quill pens were very popular during the medieval era. Other than written text, they were often used to create figures, decorations, and images on manuscripts. The tip of the pen was also very flexible, which made easy a variety of different strokes.
