Kris Breeden
Staff Reporter
Need help understanding Shakespeare? Ask one of my ten-year-olds about it.
For the past two years, I have directed a Shakespearean acting troupe called Touchstone’s Players made up of elementary and middle school students in Carroll County. Last weekend, 25 students ranging in ages from 7 to 13 performed an abbreviated version of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. They also performed selected scenes at Sykesville’s Apple Butter Market and at a Shakespeare Gala in Eldersburg. And they can’t wait to do more.
Nikki Federkeil, who played the role of Nurse, says, “I like doing Shakespeare because it’s different than regular acting, so when people come to see it, they think it’s cool that kids our age can do it.” This is exactly the kind of reaction Century High School English teacher Tom Delise was hoping for when he formed the non-profit organization known as the Shakespeare Factory. A self-professed Shakespeare nut, Delise wanted to share his passion with students.
“I love the beauty of the language and the way in which Shakespeare expresses universal themes and universal characters,” Delise explains. “He expresses the ambiguities and beauties of life and living, and does it in such a way that it inspires me.”
Over the past several years, Delise has inspired many others, establishing three troupes within the Shakespeare Factory in the hope of promoting Shakespearean education and exposure. He first started up a troupe at Century High School known as the Rude Mechanicals. When he found that to be a huge success, Delise formed an adult troupe, the Shakespeare Factory Players. Finally, he started up Touchstone Players and a summer Shakespeare camp for them.
One of the best parts about the Touchstone’s Players is that it is free for kids to participate. We raise funds by welcoming donations at the performances and holding events, such as this past Sunday’s Shakespeare Gala ($25 per ticket, catered by Salerno’s, silent auction), where all three troupes performed scenes.
All the money raised goes toward two scholarships for Rude Mechanical students graduating from Century as well as funding Shakespeare camp activities, the very few props we use and paying the directors.
Delise says, “One of the major goals of The Shakespeare Factory is to create an organization where people of all ages can act in and enjoy Shakespeare.” Last year, Touchstone’s Players performed A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which I co-directed with Andrew Tucker, a fellow Century High School alum and current junior here at McDaniel College. We were each paid $100 for our work.
This year, Andrew was busy with McDaniel College Theatre, so my co-director was Eric Kneller, also a Century alum and first year McDaniel student. Eric was paid $100 for his work. Because of my past work with the troupe, Delise awarded me a 100% raise from last year, and cut a check for $200.
But I don’t do it for the money. As someone who has been part of the Rude Mechanicals and the Shakespeare Factory Players, I was thrilled when Delise asked me to direct the first play for the children’s troupe last year. I thought I was a wonderful opportunity to show kids how fun Shakespeare could be. The parents think it’s great too.
“I think the parents are impressed that the kids are enjoying and understanding something that most of them did not understand or enjoy when they were the same age,” explains Delise.
Because the kids have a lot of sports and other activities, we try to keep the time commitment relatively low. There is one audition day and thirteen hour-and-a-half rehearsals (three days a week for four weeks). We accept everyone who auditions, splitting roles between two students if need be. We cut down the script, so the students perform an abbreviated version of the play that typically lasts about an hour, which helps kids feel less overwhelmed.
“I honestly believe the younger the child, the better he or she will respond to Shakespeare,” Delise says, “To younger kids, all language is new, so they don’t find Shakespeare as intimidating as older kids.”
Delise is right; these kids are definitely not intimidated by Shakespeare’s language. One of the first things I ask when we start rehearsals with the students is, “Do you have any questions about how to pronounce any words or what any words mean?”
Immediately, kids shoot their arms in the air, waiting in curiosity for me to answer their inquiries about what a “dishclout” is and what it means to be a “saucy boy.”
Of the language, Touchstone Player Gabby Watson says, “Shakespeare is hard at first, but then you start to like it, and you want to do it more and more.”
Student David Kreinar agrees, saying, “I think understanding Shakespeare after a couple of years is pretty easy.”
“And it’s really fun and helps you build a better vocabulary!” exclaims Daphne Reid.
Besides gaining familiarity with Shakespeare’s language, Delise thinks it is important for kids to experience acting. “They are coming to Shakespeare with a fresh and curious attitude,” he explains, “and they aren’t intimidated by his work.”
The kids really do embrace the plays, often offering me their own suggestions and ideas about blocking and props for the performances. And I am always impressed with how quickly they learn their lines, especially as some students have more than 100 for their role. Despite having to understand and memorize lines of Shakespeare’s language, kids keep coming back for more. The program has grown by over 50% from last year.
Delise says, “Kids and parents both love the program. Kids just plain have fun, and the parents are happy that the kids are happy and that they are engaged in an activity that exposes them to the ultimate cultural icon — Shakespeare.”
Students like Shakespearean acting for a variety of reasons. “I like it because there’s a lot of sword fighting,” says actor Joey Marcellino, “but it’s also very interesting and descriptive.”
Ashleigh Kirker agrees, saying, “Well, I really like to act, and Shakespeare’s really interesting.”
“It’s just fun and a great way to have fun with other people,” adds student Sam Murrill.
Regardless of what brings them to the stage, the incredible thing is that they want to be there and are enthusiastic about portraying Shakespeare’s characters. Though they think the language is kind of weird now, their experience with Touchstone’s Players will help them better understand and appreciate the beauties of Shakespeare’s work later on.
For now, Dani Bryant can pretty much sum up how the students feel about Shakespeare: “He’s a funny guy; I like him.”