DePauw Students Bring Shakespeare to Local Schools

May 13, 2011

May 13, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — "Will Power: Shakespeare in the Schools," a semester-long program focusing on the work of William Shakespeare, presented by DePauw University for local high schools, has "been one of the most challenging experiences I've had at DePauw," senior Taryn Stark tells the Banner-Graphic. "These kids are great -- they're brilliant." (Banner-Graphic photo: Naomi Farkass and Reilly Anderson rehearse a scene from Shakespeare's As You Like It)

Jared Jernagan writes, "The program, which began in early February with kids from Greencastle Middle School and High School, allows students to experience William Shakespeare's work on stage, not simply reading it in a classroom ... The 16 students have been working on learning Shakespeare's language and on learning specific scenes. On Saturday, 16 kids will take to the stage at 2 p.m. in DePauw's Moore Theatre for a 'festival of scenes,' in which eight pairs of students will perform scenes from a number of Shakespeare's plays."

"Kids know instinctively how to do Shakespeare when you get them in the language," says Amy Hayes (pictured at right), coordinator of the program, which is funded through the Ball Brothers Foundation Venture Fund competitive grant program. "It's so important that they get it in their bodies. They just love the language. They're swimming in it like ducks." Hayes is a part-time assistant professor of communication and theatre at DePauw.

"It's classes like the that made me change my major from biology to communications," says DePauw sophomore Marycruz Baylon. "I really want to work with children. I think somewhere going into education is my calling. It's challenging but it's fun at the same time."

Adds Stark, "You learn so much about yourself and them and Shakespeare. These are the kinds of experiences people seek out, and at DePauw, we're lucky enough to have them just presented to us on a whim."

Read the complete article at the newspaper's website.

Learn more about Amy Gaither Hayes in this recent story.

Back