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In our last blog, we talked about short speeches which can help ease a child’s transition to larger roles. These “building blocks” pieces enable younger, less-experienced performers to gain and grow in confidence on the stage. As we noted, it is those “in-between” points that make all the difference ― whether the student is moving from incidental parts, or behind-the-scenes work, to speaking roles, or whether they are ready to move on to full-fledged characterizations.

A great building block for the latter phase is the speech that Cordelia delivers to her father, King Lear, at the start of the play.

In Act 1, Scene 1, Lear asks his three daughters ― Regan, Goneril, and Cordelia ― to declare who loves him the most so that he will know how to divide his kingdom between them. Regan and Goneril declare their love so melodramatically as to flatter their father’s vanity and gain his wealth; Cordelia, however, answers simply and honestly. “I love your Majesty according to my bond,” she explains, “No more nor less.” This enrages Lear, who banishes his daughter and sets the tragic events of the play in motion.

Cordelia’s speech is not long ― just about a dozen lines ― but it allows for complex character development. She is sincere but not cloying; direct but respectful. Her innocence contrasts with the duplicity of her sisters, with her words attesting to her personal integrity. That quality can be more challenging to convey than humour, romance, or even villainy. It is, simply, an excellent performance piece for a rising star!

© 2020

After teaching more than one generation of young actors, we at Shakespeare For Our Children know that one question will always come up: “When do I get a bigger part?” In turn, we reply with one of the great maxims of the theatre: “There are no small parts, only small actors!” In classes that can have an age range of 5 – 12, it is key that everyone is given a chance to contribute to the production — whether on stage or behind the scenes. And every child knows just how much their contribution is valued.

One of the greatest delights, though, is watching a young performer grow in confidence and technique (in memorizing lines, developing a character, or engaging with fellow actors). When one of our children is at an in-between point — beyond incidental lines, but not yet mature enough for an entire part — we have a stock of monologues that fit the bill. One of these is Philostrate’s introduction to the play-within-a-play in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. As “Master of the Revels,” Philostrate must reluctantly announce the Athenian workmen’s absurd melodrama to Duke Theseus. This humorous monologue is only 10 lines, but it has always been a real showstopper — usually because one of our budding leads directly addresses the audience!

Speeches like this provide the perfect transition piece for young actors who are looking for that “bigger part” — giving them a sense of taking centre stage without the pressure of a leading role, but with the promise of things to come.

©2020

The digital age — though not without its pitfalls! — has truly opened up an entire world for students of Shakespeare. From the magic of streamed performances to entire collections of images, online content has brought the Bard to any number of audiences. This accessibility has been all the more significant in recent months, of course.

As part of our Treasure Troves, we wanted to highlight another wonderful resource. Shakespeare Documented: An Online Exhibition, hosted by the Folger Shakespeare Library, offers digitized access to hundreds of materials related to Shakespeare’s life and works. His plays and sonnets are so immersive that it can be easy to lose sight of the man behind them; what this exhibition offers is a multi-faceted vision of, as the website describes it, “a professional playwright, actor, poet, business man, and family man who lived in both London and Stratford-upon-Avon.”

Young performers will especially enjoy glimpsing first editions of Shakespeare’s Sonnets, as well as plays such as Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream! Browse through the exhibition and find plays which your young actors might be studying; not only do these images offer a sense of Shakespeare’s historical era, but they also show the grand theatrical tradition which the children are continuing. Whether on parchment or computer screens, Shakespeare’s words live on.

In spite of all the challenges in the world right now, Spring has still managed to weave her beautiful spell, with blossoms on the trees, warmth in the air. And as we take our steps into this new season (even if we can only take a few outside of our homes at the moment) — we can begin yet another journey: this one towards a better understanding of Shakespeare. With this in mind, we wanted to share some materials that we have found to be essential in the earliest days of introducing children to Shakespeare. “The basic elements,” if you like!

One great way to begin is with Shakespeare’s own story. Establishing the life and times of the man himself introduces children to the pageantry of Elizabethan England — and no book does that better than Diane Stanley and Peter Vennema’s The Bard of Avon. We’ve written about it before, and it remains a perfect starting point for young performers. Many are amazed to learn about Shakespeare’s own career as a successful London actor!

Puck’s epilogue from A Midsummer Night’s Dream is another excellent place to begin. (Read it here and listen to it above.) This delightful piece has always been the first one that we share with our students, for it introduces them to the idea of creating a character (the popular mischievous sprite), highlights the relationship between actor and audience (given that the epilogue is directly addressed to the viewer), and has a lively tone which captures the rhythm of Shakespeare’s language. You can begin by reading the children Charles and Mary Lamb’s account of the play, or Bruce Coville’s eloquent retelling. 

At its heart, introducing children to Shakespeare is all about the stories: the ones that he told, and the ones that actors can, in turn, share with their audience. And each of the tales above — whether about Shakespeare’s life and his plays, or those told in his own words — are the seeds that one can plant so that the children’s understanding and admiration for Shakespeare can blossom.

Things have changed in the world since the last post. In February, we explored different leaps of faith which could be taken; now, we want to find ourselves on firmer ground. In the midst of global turmoil, Shakespeare has proven himself to be just such a centering point. Sir Patrick Stewart, for example, is reading a Sonnet a day so that audiences can access beauty and wisdom in a time of crisis. 

This gracious act brings up various issues that we at Shakespeare For Our Children have recently explored: the fact that any world can be a stage; the way that we draw from the past to guide us in the present and the future. Stewart has turned his home into a stage, which is then shared with millions of people on any number of “theatres” (computers, iPads, phones). More than this, he has turned to centuries-old works to help make sense of ― and to offer an escape from ― a troubled present. 

Actors and audiences have found strength in and inspiration from Shakespeare for hundreds of years; and may they continue to do so for hundreds more. He himself is the “ever-fixed mark / that looks on tempests and is never shaken.” So as you and your families ride out this storm, turn to Shakespeare: learn some speeches and scenes; put on shows and tell his stories. Celebrate the magic that he provided in the past ― and claim part of it for our own lives now.

Leap Years bring up all kinds of associations. Take, for example, the notion that traditional roles in marriage proposals can be reversed, with the woman asking the man for his hand. (This is hardly something that Shakespeare’s King Henry could have imagined!) Or how about the idea that leap year babies are lucky ― after all, only one in thousands is born on this rare day. 

This leap year, we propose that you ― as parents and / or teachers ― ask your young actors to try their luck by taking on a part, monologue, or scene that they would not have thought of before. We’ve written before about how to make reserved children feel more confident in taking on challenging roles; we’ve also talked about expanding our understanding of what makes a stage. Now, you can bring these approaches together to awaken your students’ enthusiasm for the unexpected: If you have a “class clown” who might usually play comic roles, suggest that they try a more dramatic speech. Or if you have a student who craves the spotlight all the time, ask them to help out behind-the-scenes. And since Spring is just around the corner, why not leave the classroom or drama studio behind to perform in a garden or park. It may be that you, as a teacher / parent, also have to break out of some ingrained habits. Remember, there is a part for everyone in every kind of production.

The most important thing is that your young actors feel safe and confident. Don’t push anyone too hard ― but do remind them of the adventure and excitement of trying new things. Leap year brings an extra day, and with it, the gift of even more possibilities. Above all, show how a new responsibility or challenge is really about the students taking a leap of faith ― in themselves!

We all know that January is a time of new beginnings, a point to reflect on the past and act upon resolutions for a better future. It could even be said that January is a prologue for the year to come: a month in which to establish the patterns — or set the scene! — for what will happen next.

In Shakespeare’s world, one of the most compelling prologues features in Romeo and Juliet. (Listen to it above.) Spoken by a Chorus, the prologue introduces the audience to the tale of these “star-cross’d lovers” whose deaths end the feud between their families. The words give a sense of fate to the scenes that follow, revealing at the very start the tragic end that awaits the characters. In this way, the romance of the play is already tempered with sadness. 

Beyond its significance to the play itself, however, the prologue also provides a solid “starter monologue” for young actors who might feel less confident. Rather than having to bring a character to life or engage in a scene with other children, the more hesitant performer can concentrate on simply outlining the story of Romeo and Juliet. The language is powerful but not intimidating, and the tone can be neutral or as dramatic as the child can manage. In this variation on the role of the Narrator, any child could feel comfortable and in control of the material, establishing a foundation for tackling more complex roles and monologues.

The prologue is, after all, only a place to begin!

Over the years, we at Shakespeare For Our Children have seen the Holiday Season through a dramatic lens. Our bands of young actors have done readings from A Winter’s Tale on frosty December evenings and staged Twelfth Night to celebrate the 6^th of January (the Feast of the Epiphany — a time to have fun!) . . . and instead of singing Christmas carols door-to-door, we have recited from the Sonnets. 

What we hope to create with these activities is a sense of shared joy in the season. Families and friends come together for festive parties, and lights are lit in the early winter nights on Christmas trees and menorahs. Shakespeare’s words are another light guiding us from one season to the next — bringing together the speaker of those words and the listener. After all, inasmuch as a theatrical performance can create a bond between the actor and an audience at any point . . . how especially meaningful that bond is at this time, as we reflect on the past and celebrate the new year to come.

And so, we wish you all a blessed and happy Holiday Season — or to quote from A Midsummer Night’s Dream: “Joy, gentle friends! Joy and fresh days of love accompany your hearts!”

‘Tis the Halloween season again, which brings us to the spookier side of Shakespeare! In the past, we have talked about Macbeth and the Three Witches, Hamlet and his father’s ghost ― but what about the bringing together Shakespeare and the great art of trick-or-treating? 

This year, try taking the show on the road. Instead of saying “Trick or Treat!” when a neighbour answers the door, suggest that your young actors quote a particularly scary line from Macbeth. Almost anything from the Three Witches would be appropriate. (“Fair is foul, and foul is fair / Hover through the fog and filthy air.”)

Or what about dressing up as Hamlet for Halloween? Any costume would make a dramatic statement, and the skull that Hamlet ponders later in the play (“Alas, poor Yorick . . .”) would be a perfect accessory! Just follow Richard Burton’s lead in this clip.

For those young people not interested in exploring the darker side of Shakespeare, remind them that they can dress up as one of the fairies from A Midsummer Night’s Dream – or even Bottom, with his donkey’s head!

As we declared in our last post, “we can make any world a stage!” . . . and there’s no time better than on Halloween.

©2019

In Act 2, Scene 7 of As You Like It, the character of Jacques reminds us that “all the world’s a stage”– bringing to mind the various parts we play not only throughout our lives, but in our day-to-day interactions. Here, we want to talk about worlds and stages in a more literal sense: thinking, that is, about how and where plays can be put on.

Everyone reading this blog will be working with young actors across a variety of contexts – formal classrooms, home-schooling spaces, maybe even a neighbourhood play group. The facilities will, by necessity, be different in each; some of you may have dedicated auditoriums where bigger plays can be staged, and others will be turning their living rooms into a theatre! And that versatility is what we want to celebrate. 

Such is the beauty of Theatre as a work of imagination: We do not need a formal stage or fancy costumes; we do not have to wait for the “perfect moment” to stage a production. On rainy days when the kids cannot go out to play, a sheet or tablecloth can become a backdrop against which they speak their lines. On crisp Autumn afternoons, a park or the backyard becomes an outdoor theatre with a blanket, snacks, and a book of Shakespeare’s Sonnets to read aloud. 

If indeed “all the world’s a stage,” then think of all the opportunities for putting on a show! The magic of Theatre can take place literally anywhere you can bring together actors and an audience – and, most importantly, the transformative power of Shakespeare’s words.