A scene from Indianola’s performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream
A scene from Transformation, Trust & Love
By Sarah Feldman (MFA Acting, 2015)
On Friday, May 15th 2015, The Ohio State University’s Department of Theatre celebrated six years of the Ohio State University/Royal Shakespeare Company partnership. To commemorate the occasion the department hosted a festival performance featuring over one hundred Columbus area K-12 students who had been implementing the RSC’s artistic practice in the classroom.
Rather than dictate what Shakespeare text or scenes the students would perform; the participating teachers were encouraged to create a theatrical piece of their own centered around the theme of “Transformation, Trust & Love.” Teachers had the ability to write and devise the material, but were asked to incorporate text from at least one of Shakespeare’s plays in the performance.
As one of the graduate teaching artists involved in the project, it was my job to guide the teachers through the process, which included helping them to develop their scripts, make a rehearsal schedule, assist in blocking, attend rehearsals and sharpen the student’s performances. While receiving our MFAs in Acting at Ohio State, my colleague, Sifiso Mazibuko and I were able to bring our performance expertise into the classroom and make sure the teachers and students were confident with the pieces they had created.
What transpired was an evening of truly inspired performances. The teachers and students at Hilltonia Middle School created a piece wherein Hamlet, Lady Macbeth & King Lear met one another at the office of “Doctor Titus Andronicus” where each was seeking a cure for the all-consuming “Shakespearean Tragedy Disorder.”
Indianola K-8 was the largest school participating in the festival, with seven teachers and ninety students of all ages participating. Kindergarteners partnered with third graders to perform text from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. First graders boldly recited text from Act 3 of Henry V; King Henry’s famous “Once more unto the breach” speech, and one eighth grade teacher chose to let her students write and perform their own piece about Henry V, highlighting moments of transformation in the play.
Fort Hayes Arts & Academics performed some enchanting scenes from Midsummer and the result of everyone’s hard work was an evening of performances that were rich with creativity resulting from the investment and hard work of all of the students and teachers. The festival truly celebrated all of those involved in the partnership between the RSC’s Stand Up for Shakespeare program and The Ohio State University Theatre Department.
