It’s no secret that Shakespeare For Our Children loves Halloween! And what’s not to enjoy? It’s a time to embrace theatricality – who or what will you dress up as? – and also to consider some of the fundamental motifs in Shakespeare’s work. From actual ghosts and witches to more abstract questions of haunting and fear, there are a range of plays and characters that can suit this season.
This year, we wanted to celebrate a decade of our Halloween-themed posts – a cornucopia of ideas and reflections! For instance, we’ve explored haunted stages and, appropriately, stage fright; there are also suggestions for how to perform ghostliness and ways to make trick-or-treating into a Shakespeare-themed event. We are especially fond of Shakespeare’s Haunted House. This versatile concept could apply to short productions bringing together spectral scenes from various plays, and / or a theatrical experience in which those scenes play out in different rooms of a home or school.
This all being said, it may be that your troupe of actors are feeling more subdued at this time of year – preoccupied with homework, sports, and social situations. In that case, set the scene for an introspective session: light a few candles and a jack o’lantern, set out some treats, and invite the children to talk about how things are going so far – whether positive or challenging.
Halloween, for all its spectacle, is a time of connection: to thrills, possible selves, and of course, to our Shakespeare community. Whatever makes that connection possible is the “right” way to celebrate!