"All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts..."

-from Shakespeare's As You Like It

Shakespeare Showcase:

Let's celebrate! The showcase is a 3-day event wherein we share a variety of presentations related to Shakespeare, Elizabethan England, and Romeo and Juliet.

All of us participate in specific roles. I will emcee, and each of you will participate in one of the following roles:

Each role has a specific task. Read carefully in order to decide which is best for you. I will assign roles where needed, but prefer to do this with a knowledge of your interests.

 

The Players: Bringing great scenes to life.

(No, you don’t have to kiss.  In fact, please don’t.  I’m not clear about the legality of sponsoring kisses in classrooms, even if it is in the name of art.)

 

Expectations (minimum)
Delivery is well-rehearsed, as evidenced by:

Additional Options:
The performance may….

Suggested scenes for delivery:

Please feel free to see me with other suggestions. 

Once you have chosen a scene and a group,  print copies for each player and highlight roles. 

Then, rehearse diligently and passionately.

 

Play on, Players.

 

The instructional decorators:

Creating a creative informational display for the "lobby"

No showcase is complete without the proper décor.  Complete our celebration with a rich visual display that transforms 2-3 complete walls of our room!

The display should include:

And my also include: 

The Time Travelers: honored guests from 1592

You’ll be presenting… “A day in the life”  of a person in Shakespeare’s England

You can choose which “character” you would like to be (11-year-old school boy, 15-year-old ladies maid, 52-year old doctor, etc…) from the “Cast of Characters” list on the site below.  Be sure to conference with the other time travelers on this one: no two people can play the same role! 

As an honored guest, you will be invited to speak briefly in-between acts.  The 21st century guests are very curious to learn about what life was like for you in 1592.  To accommodate them, you are asked to write a diary entry.  In it, you will share with us an explanation of a typical day in your life.  The day is:  September 15, 1592.

There is lots of room for creativity here, so long as you first meet the basic requirements.  Here’s what you must include in your diary entry

 

Resources for successful completion of this project can be found at:

http://cte.jhu.edu/techacademy/web/2000/hebert/

The link above will also take you to the cast of characters. 

We look forward to seeing you there, and can’t wait to hear about your day!

CORPORATE SPONSORS: all about ads

Products inspired by the play

And now, a word from our sponsors…

This one can be lots of fun, and requires a creative stretch of the imagination. 

Imagine that our showcase is televised in prime time, on CBS.  That airtime is expensive, and wouldn’t be possible without some corporate sponsorship. 

You are the advertising group for these corporate sponsors.  In a way, you are also the corporate sponsors, as you will be inventing the product that you advertise. 

Here's an example. Your company might design a special vest (similar to a bulletproof vest) that would protect the wearer from sword wound. You could name it "Mercutio's Last Wish" and then come up with a clever ad campaign to sell your product (may be to an audience in Elizabethan England, or in present times. You make the call, depending on your product).

 

The Directors: Developing Sonnets as Video Poems

Create a "video poem" of one of Shakespeare's sonnets

A video poem may be created using Power Point or iMovie. 

It is generally done using a series of still photographs, and often music (should be instrumental, without words).  These serve as the background for the words of the sonnet, which scroll slowly over the screen, as the images move and music plays (or, alternately, the words can be delivered as audio, with a recording of a group member reading them, which can be done in a recording program called GarageBand.)   The end result is often somewhat like a music video.

I’ll provide examples, as needed,  to the group.

First, find and print one of Shakespeare's sonnets.

Recommended Sonnets:  18, 129, 116, 126, 130, 01, 05, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30

Read, re-read, re-read again.  Chew on the poem.  Accept the fact that Shakespeare’s writing is meant to be absorbed gradually, and that your understanding will develop with each new reading. 

Annotate the poem as you go.  Create a list of images that you think would go well with the poem (one image for every line or two, so 7-14 images total).  go to “google image search” to find images. 

Important Note:  Be sure to use the “Advanced Image Search” option.  Specify “Large” or “Very Large” images.  You need images that are at least 700 x 700 pixels to fill your screen.  Save the images as you go, and import all the images you plan to use into the “iPhoto” program. 

From there, you can open i-Movie, and begin to arrange images in the order that you want them to appear. (I’ll be there to help you to use the program) Then you can add text (from the sonnet), special effects, and music for a complete video production of the sonnet.  Your production should enhance our understanding of the core theme(s) of the poem. 

 

The Lawyers... crashing Shakespeare's party

You’ll be arriving (to crash the party) a lawyer

The year is 2009.  The place is the top floor of a corporate high rise downtown.  You have just made partner in a high-powered law firm.  Here’s your assignment.

The descendents of Sir Francis Bacon have called seeking someone to represent their famous ancestor, who many historians claim is the true author of many of the works that we attribute to Shakespeare.  Hearing this, the descendents of other writers:  Christopher Marlowe and  Edward de Vere, the Earl of Oxford, also approach the firm with similar requests.  You will represent one of these clients, and will make your case in court:  that it was your client (Bacon, Marlowe, or The Earl) who was the real author, and not Shakespeare. 

Debate the Authorship Controversy. Who really authored the writings attributed to William Shakespeare? Was he the man from Stratford, Edward De Vere -- the Earl of Oxford, Marlowe, Sir Francis Bacon, or someone else? Do the research, on behalf of your client, and make your case proving that he is the real author.
    (1) Marlowe Society http://www.marlowe-society.org/

    (2) Shakespeare Authorship http://shakespeareauthorship.com/

    (3) Shakespeare Authorship Sourcebook http://www.sourcetext.com/sourcebook/index.htm

    (4) Shakespeare Oxford Society http://www.shakespeare-oxford.com/

    (5) Shakespeare Mystery form PBS Frontline http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shakespeare/

    (6) Shakespeare Question - Who Really Wrote the Works of William Shakespeare?
    http://www.lis.uiuc.edu/~rtatum/shakespeare/

 

Recommended presentation length:  2-5 minutes (delivered as a speech; may be accompanied by Power Point or visual aid)