Global Hamlet with Philly ALC, Philadelphia, PA, USA. From San Francisco, California, Global Hamlet arrived in the next city on its journey, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was during September 2018, and on that occasion, we had the pleasure to work with students from Philly ALC. Also included among the learners at that location were youth from the homeschool community.
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WHEN PLANS GO AWRY
In short, this was where my Grand Plan began to fall apart. Yes, I know you’re thinking, “But it’s only the third location?” Indeed, it was only the third location. Indeed.
In truth, before Philadelphia, we landed in New York City, which was supposed to be the third episode. However, I was thwarted by one simple fact, the start of the school term. To elaborate, in the first weeks of school, no teachers could bring in a stand-alone workshop. Additionally, after-school programs are not yet in session. But, perhaps the most significant cause for concern was Camera Girl. Specifically, she had an attack of appendicitis. So at this point, things were definitely off track.
Luckily, things started looking brighter when we hit Philadelphia.
THE HOMESCHOOL COMMUNITY TO THE RESCUE
Admittedly, I was not able to hook up with any existing theatre groups or Shakespeare directors in Philadelphia, also known as Philly. Having previous experience with homeschooling in Austin, Texas, I reached out to the local community. Homeschooled youngsters form a core focus of our Austin troupe. In fact, we’ve homeschooled our own kids in the past. And, in addition to online classes, we continue to use this method of education for our children as we travel the world.
As a matter of fact, the decision to contact that local community was a fortuitous one. Because, not only did several homeschool parents respond to my queries, the director of a new alternative learning center replied, as well. In this case, Philly ALC offered a space for the workshop, too.
Their website describes them best. Philly Agile Learning Center is an independent school for self-directed learners. Several of their students showed an interest in the Global Hamlet project. And the ALC was also kind enough to include others from the community. All in all, we ended up with a group of eight youth for our third Episode of Global Hamlet with Philly ALC, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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THE PERFECT FILM
Lest you think otherwise, I should point out that a perfect film is not the focus of this project. Instead, we are showcasing youth around the world playing with Shakespeare. A point often overlooked, William Shakespeare is the world’s third-most translated author. Evidently, if we want to reach true global impact, a Global Agatha Christi is in order. However, she doesn’t appear on as many assigned reading lists for young people.
Nevertheless, ceding control over film perfection is necessary. There are several reasonings behind this approach. First, each workshop usually runs 3-6 hours in length. In Global Hamlet Episode 2, Mission Graduates, however, was an exception. During that time, a class on Shakespeare happens. Then, there are rehearsals. Next, we shoot the narration Episode, and finally, we film the Shakespeare scene.
Correspondingly, there are other factors we must consider. For example, we have no control over the space, light, even background noise. When we add in breaks for the Kids, it amazes me that we get three 2-5-minute videos from each session. Obviously, the participating students are working very hard during these workshops.
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GLOBAL HAMLET EPISODE 3.1: PHILADELPHIA, PA, USA
Hamlet is a fun story to introduce to Kids. Generally, you can query, “Have you seen Disney’s, ‘The Lion King?’ ” If your class answers in the affirmative, then they know the story of Hamlet.
Following that quick introduction, you can then ask if any of them like “puppy dogs.” Usually, some or most of them do. Although, whether they favor puppies or not, is neither here nor there. The truth is, they are already speaking Shakespeare. Because, it turns out the word “puppy dog,” was first attributed to Shakespeare.
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GLOBAL HAMLET EPISODE 3.2: PHILADELPHIA, PA, USA
Once again, we had more players than the scene called for, so we got creative. As mentioned before, it is imperative that every Kid has an opportunity to speak Shakespeare verse out loud. Unfortunately, not every scene, or play, has enough characters for the number of Kids you may be teaching.
To resolve that problem, I added visitors to the scene. Consequently, Horatio, Marcellus, and Bernardo stop by for a little advice-giving. Comparatively, the Servant’s role expanded, too. Whereas she has additional moments included, in fact, she does NOT have any Shakespeare lines. Gah! I broke my own rule! “Durst I tread along the primrose path of dalliance and reck not my own rede?”
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GLOBAL HAMLET EPISODE 3.3: PHILADELPHIA, PA, USA
Undoubtedly, this is one of my favorite games. Shakespeare never meant for his work to be performed stoically, or with a quiet audience. You, therefore, shouldn’t take him so seriously. Instead, have fun with Shakespeare’s verse.
Whenever you’re working with a group of Shakespeare newbies, use this game to help students become comfortable with Shakespeare’s words in their mouths. Be sure to keep the scenes short with this lesson. Meaning, there should be no more than 5-6 lines per group.
Meanwhile, if you find your Shakespeare Kids are becoming too stilted in their delivery, then use this exercise to loosen them up.
Finally, during those closing days of rehearsals, try this activity to remind the players to keep the performance fresh, exciting and fun.
| Type: | Theatre Game |
|---|---|
| Purpose: | To introduce Shakespeare verse to Kids who are new to Shakespeare. Or, to help more established players loosen up and become further relaxed with the Shakespeare verse. |
| Procedure: | Preparation: Select short scenes from the Shakespeare play. You can use the same scene for the whole class. Alternatively, you can divide a longer scene into smaller sections. Assign groups to each scene. Round 1: Each group of Kids reads through their scene, saying the lines with an accent or a silly voice. Give them 3-4-minutes to practice. Then each group performs their scene for the rest of the class. Round 2: Same as above, but this time, give each group a different genre, i.e., Tear-jerker, Sci-fi, Musical, Spies, etc. Or, give each group a different character, i.e., Cowboys, British aristocrats, Robots, etc. Round 3: Emphasize different words within the lines. Then, have the other players guess which word is emphasized. Lastly, discuss how it changes the meaning. |
| Side Coach: | First, “Be as silly and as big as possible.” Next, “Don’t be afraid to be ridiculous.” Last, “There’s no ‘right’ way to do this exercise.” |
| Notes: | Once the Kids feel free to be utterly absurd with the Shakespeare verse, they are less scared of it. Don’t worry about what the scene means at this point. It’s important to just have fun. Remember to keep the scenes short and the process quick. |
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WHERE TO NEXT?
We’re heading out of the country! Albeit, it’s just a small jump. But we’re heading to our neighbors up north. Stay tuned for a BONUS Episode with Shakespeare directors in Montreal, Canada. After that, we hook up with some former ImprovEd Shakespeare players in Italy. In the meantime, let us know if you have any Shakespeare, youth, or educator contacts in Melbourne, Wellington, NZ, Hong Kong, Tokyo, or Dubai.
SEPTEMBER 2018 PHILADELPHIA, PA, USA
Enjoy our Gallery of photographs below from Global Hamlet with Philly ALC, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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SHAKESPEARE FOR ALL
Working with Shakespeare in education frightens many. Because Shakespeare experts, including professionals, surround us. Escaping them is difficult. This can be intimidating. Thus, feelings of dread usually accompany the act of presenting, but moreover be introduced to, The Bard.
For this reason, ImprovEd Shakespeare is here to help. Founder and Director, Andee Kinzy, offers the layman’s approach to Shakespeare.
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SHAKESPEARE FOR TEACHERS AND DIRECTORS
If you’re an English teacher, a theatre director, or a well-trained Shakespeare advocate, here you will find inspiration, as well as techniques, for making our favorite bard fun for Kids. Accordingly, we present old, new and improved ideas for introducing Shakespeare to youth for the non-Shakespeare-academic. Among them, we include theatre games, improvisation, tips, tricks, plus activities for using Shakespeare in education.
SHAKESPEARE FOR KIDS
Since 2011, ImprovEd Shakespeare has been exploring The Bard with youth through theatrical performance. Our signature scripts are a mix of modern narration plus original Shakespeare verse. With a focus on the story, including an abbreviated script length, our productions entertain all ages. Moreover, our catalog goes beyond the oft-used Midsummer Night’s Dream, or Romeo and Juliet. And still, young people find much to their delight among many of Shakespeare’s works. Consider subscribing to our YouTube channel for family-friendly Shakespeare videos.
PERFORMANCES
Each fall and spring, ImprovEd Shakespeare develops a new production for live performance. In honor of the traditional Renaissance traveling troupe, during a period of a few weeks, we present Kid-friendly plays at various venues around town. Our Players, between 3rd-11th grade, gear themselves with playful, as well as engaging interpretations of works by the Bard of Avon. Suitable for all ages, each performance runs for about an hour.
Furthermore, these shows are always FREE. However, we gladly accept Donations! Additionally, visit ImprovEd Shakespeare, Shakespeare for Kids by Kids on Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter. And don’t forget to click on our BLOG for the stories behind these videos.
This is great. I love what you are doing! Keep it up.
Thanks! We’re having a lot of fun!