CAST LISTS

Dear Shakespeareans,

Yesterday was a wonderful experience for us as teachers. You all did soooo well! Once we started deliberating, we were amazed at how quickly the cast lists came into existence. I have never cast a show that way before, and it was fascinating to see it come together in such a unique way. I can honestly say that God's hand was in this casting, and I give Him full credit for inspiring us. In fact, we were surprised by some of the results, but they felt like the right choices to make. We pray that you are all feeling peaceful about the part you received, and that you're ready to go to work and have a great time! :-)

Love,
Mrs. K.

Just for historical reference, here's the list again:

Mrs. Packer's Cast

Male Roles
Athenians
Theseus - Jesse N.
Egeus- Hunter F.

Lovers
Lysander - Garrett T.
Demetrius- Hayden T.

Mechanicals
Quince - Carol Amber N.
Snug - Hunter F.
Bottom - Ben E.
Flute - David N.
Snout - Sarah G.
Starveling- Rebekah G.

Supernaturals
Oberon - Jesse N.
Puck - Matea J.

Female Roles
Athenians
Hippolyta - Sicily W.

Lovers
Hermia - Michelle P.
Helena - Rheanna M.

Supernaturals
Titania - Seira M.
Peaseblossom - Carol Amber N.
Cobweb - Rebekah G.
Moth - Sarah G.
Mustardseed - Kandy S.
*First Fairy and Second Fairy will be split up among the fairies who would like to add to their parts.


Mrs. Keppner's Cast

Male Roles
Athenians
Theseus - Ben Mc.
Egeus - Lliam K.

Lovers
Lysander - Matthias Mc.
Demetrius - Brennan K.

Mechanicals
Quince - Rachel W.
Snug - Samantha J.
Bottom - Preston K.
Flute - Matthew W.
Snout - Lliam K.
Starveling - Charis D.

Supernaturals
Oberon - Ben Mc.
Puck - Kimberly G.
Mustardseed - Matthew W.

Female Roles
Athenians
Hippolyta - Hana G.

Lovers
Hermia - Morganne K.
Helena - Kristina J.

Supernaturals
Titania - Jean B.
First Fairy - Rachel W.
Second Fairy - Charis D.
Peaseblossom - Samantha J.
Cobweb - Hana G.
Moth - Alyssa D.

Student Choreographers
Rachel W.
Charis D.

Are you ready for AUDITIONS???

Alright, Shakespeareans. Tomorrow is the BIG DAY. I just want you to remember the following:

1) Your audition packets. Did your parent sign the contract and the volunteer list? Did YOU sign the contract? Did you fill out the audition form? Have you been studying the part you'll be presenting?

2)Be positive. You are ALL talented. Please remember that we will do our best to give each person the part that is right for them in their lives right now. We will do our best to cast the shows in the way God wants us to-- praying all the way!

3) Be excited! Auditions are FUN! We're all going to have a blast! :-)

Love,
Mrs. K

About Shakespeare...

I thought I'd share a speech I wrote about Shakespeare for my 5 Pillar Group with all of you!

I hope you're memorizing... Auditions are just 2 days away!!!

What's So Important about Shakespeare?

It is a foregone conclusion-- in my opinion-- that Shakespeare was a genius. I believe in my heart of hearts that there is not an author today who can hold a candle to his command of the English language. However, there are those that do not see him as the tower of literary strength that I believe him to have been. Most modern men are willing to dismiss the Bard and his works as unimportant to the modern world, and thus in one fell swoop they play fast and loose with the definition of great English literature.

So what makes Shakespeare so great? Why should we still value his works more than four-hundred years after his death?

If you are a person very familiar with Shakespeare's works, you may have noticed something interesting about my first statements. In them I used six commonly-used English terms that come straight out of six different plays written by William Shakespeare. Can you find them? Let me restate my opening remarks:

It is “a foregone conclusion” (Othello)-- in my opinion-- that Shakespeare was a genius. I believe “in my heart of hearts “(Hamlet) that there is not an author today who can “hold a candle to” (The Merchant of Venice) his command of the English language. However, there are those that do not see him as the “tower of” literary “strength” (Richard III) that I believe him to have been. Most modern men are willing to dismiss the Bard and his works as unimportant to the modern world, and thus in “one fell swoop” (Macbeth) they “play fast and loose” (Love's Labour's Lost) with the definition of great English literature.

“A foregone conclusion” is from Othello, “in my heart of hearts” is from Hamlet, “hold a candle to” is from The Merchant of Venice, “tower of strength” is found in Richard III, “one fell swoop” is quoted from Macbeth, and “play fast and loose” is taken from Love's Labour's Lost.

Shakespeare is important because he almost single-handedly changed the English language. Before Shakespeare, English was still rooted in the medieval age. Many books were still being written in Latin, and written English owed its style to The Canterbury Tales, the first full English epic, towards the end of the fourteenth century. After Shakespeare, English had become a modern language that would make its influence felt all over the world. He wrote over 40 plays and countless sonnets and poems. Shakespeare was not just “another English author.” In fact, it could be argued that Shakespeare was a major contributing author of the English language. He is said to have created over 2000 new English words or phrases. Quite simply, if a word didn’t exist, the Bard made it up! Some of these words, used by Shakespeare for the first time, have survived into everyday speech.

A few examples are: addiction, accommodation, barefaced, discontent, downstairs, fashionable, laughable, priceless, schoolboy, silliness, soft-hearted, unreal, and useful.

His vocabulary was about 20,000 words, large for his time, and he used his words like tools to create many memorable phrases and sayings we still use to this day. Here are a few:

‘Neither rhyme or reason’
‘It’s all one to me’
‘Give the devil his due’
‘Too much of a good thing’
‘Good riddance’
‘Dead as a doornail’
‘What’s done is done’
‘For goodness sake’
‘A wild-goose chase’

One of my favorite Shakespearean speeches of all time is from Henry V. I'd like to share it with you:

KING HENRY V

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;
Or close the wall up with our English dead.
In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility:
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage;
Then lend the eye a terrible aspect;
Let pry through the portage of the head
Like the brass cannon; let the brow o'erwhelm it
As fearfully as doth a galled rock
O'erhang and jutty his confounded base,
Swill'd with the wild and wasteful ocean.
Now set the teeth and stretch the nostril wide,
Hold hard the breath and bend up every spirit
To his full height. On, on, you noblest English.
Whose blood is fet from fathers of war-proof!
Fathers that, like so many Alexanders,
Have in these parts from morn till even fought
And sheathed their swords for lack of argument:
Dishonour not your mothers; now attest
That those whom you call'd fathers did beget you.
Be copy now to men of grosser blood,
And teach them how to war. And you, good yeoman,
Whose limbs were made in England, show us here
The mettle of your pasture; let us swear
That you are worth your breeding; which I doubt not;
For there is none of you so mean and base,
That hath not noble lustre in your eyes.
I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start. The game's afoot:
Follow your spirit, and upon this charge
Cry 'God for Harry, England, and Saint George!'

That passage from Henry V is considered the quintessential motivational speech of all time. Shakespeare used words to create masterpieces just as great artists used paint. The more one is exposed to his works, the more his genius can be appreciated and be passed on to the next generation of English speaking people. When was the last time you saw a Shakepeare play, or read one of his sonnets? Can you recognize the Bard's influence in every day English?

Until I “breathe [my] last” (Henry VI, part 3) breath I will not “budge an inch” (The Taming of the Shrew) in my opinions of the Bard and his influence on the English language. “Come what may” (Macbeth), I believe his works will continue to stand the test of time, just as they have for the past four centuries.

[And I hope you will now be better able to recognize his influence in your everyday speech, “for goodness sake” (Henry VIII)!]

For Wednesday, January 21st

Hello, Shakespeareans!

This week, we'll be finishing the movie, doing a bit of Actor's Training, and then we'll also do some Audition Training to get us ready for auditions next week.

Here is one change to the normal schedule: Please come early-- @ 11:30AM, to be precise. Bring a sack lunch, and we'll all eat while we watch the end of the movie. We realize we didn't get far enough into it last week, and we want to give us as much time in class as possible.

Be sure to bring your audition packets, your creativity, and a smile. See you Wednesday at 11:30AM!!!

Enthusiastically,
Mrs. K

Important Parent Information!

Dear Shakespeare Parents,

We're so excited for class to start again!

In class today, your student will receive an audition packet with lots of important papers for you to check out.

There are three papers that are of the utmost importance to parents:

1) the Rehearsal Schedule (Remember that it is subject to change, though not dramatically.)

and

2)the Participation Contract

and

3)the Parent Volunteer Sign-up Sheet.


*** Parents, your child cannot participate in the play unless you and they sign the participation contract. *** Please read the rehearsal schedule carefully, to make sure that you are familiar with all the dates and times your child will be needed. Contracts must be signed and returned to the mentors ASAP. Thanks!

*Also, one parent from every household MUST sign up to volunteer to help in one of the areas listed on the volunteer sign-up sheet. In order for our play to be successful, it will take the help of everyone. You will see that some parents signed up to help back at the parent meeting this past Fall. If you'd like to change what area you're helping with, please let us know. With so many kids this year, we're going to need all the help we can get, but many hands make light work, right?

I have also set up an online sign-up sheet here.

Thank you so much for allowing us to help mentor your children! Our productions of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" are going to be awesome! :-)

Sincerely,
Mrs. Rachel K, Shakespeare Mentor
Thomas Jefferson Leadership Academy

Classes Beginning Again-- Soon!

Hel-loooooooo students and parents!

I am so excited for classes to begin again on JANUARY 14th. Are you fired up?! Are you ready for a great semester?!! Have you read or watched the play yet?!!!

To see the only "Family Friendly" version I have found, try Netflix. They have the BBC 1981 version, directed by Elijah Moshinsky, and starring Helen Mirren as Titania and Robert Lindsay as Lysander. (Remember, the 1981 version. Steer clear of the BBC version done in the late 1960's. Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!)

So do you know what part you're hoping for? I can't wait to get started! :-)

See you in two weeks from this very day...

~Mrs. K.