A Medley of Shakespeare

Fri February 2, 2024

Class 7s play introduces the works of Shakespeare, incorporating A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth, Henry IV, The Taming of the Shrew and Romeo & Juliet.

Costumes, props and set design will be deliberately kept simple so the class cohort can focus their energy on acting their parts, and most importantly allow the teenagers to penetrate their own emotions.

The scope of emotions are far wider than ever before. Through this dramatised work, the pupils have to also contemplate third party emotion, which is a challenge at this age, when developmentally they are often quite self-absorbed.

Shakespeare is not typically brought until Class 8, however the flexibility of the Waldorf curriculum allowed Class Teacher, Karen Ford, to dip the pupils’ toes in his works earlier to meet where the cohort are. Ms Ford says:

Although emotions, dialogue and characterisation are complex, the Class have three simple rules to help them achieve this:

• Commit.
• Project.
• Slow Down”

This Class was ready to stretch themselves into the works of Shakespeare both academically and socially. They have deepened skills needed for Upper School English, for example understanding backstories, motivations of characters and subtext.”

Dress rehearsal gallery: