ROMEO AND JULIET--Why Priscilla Rocks It and I, Not So Much!~

ROMEO AND JULIET--my past does not match Priscilla's present! 

As a high school teacher who has taught all four grade levels, I've had the chance to teach many-a-play. Of the bard's I've taught Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, King Lear--all AP Lit; and Julius Caesar and Midsummer, during a stint as a sophomore teacher, BUT when I taught at Southeast Polk, and my own children were daycare age, I decided I needed a more manageable prep load, and was able to land a spot on a freshman teaming squad. Of course, just one prep, but, sure, freshmen six hours a day. It is true, true as the eternal love of those kids from Verona, that I have taught ROMEO AND JULIET sooooooo many times. It is the one play that someone sitting next to me would want me to stop quoting during the show. (No one likes that.)

I feel like I a did a good job with R&J at Polk for those six years time six times a day equals thirty-six read-throughs of Capulet and Montague squabbles-turned-tragic. I was enthusiastic--I had someone's old cream prom dress that anyone playing Juliet was eager to wear (it fit everyone like I guess those traveling jeans). I had a flower wreath for her hair, a hat for Romeo, plenty of plastic swords with which servants of opposing houses swatted each other really hard on the legs (or arse). As for stage energy, I could pull it out of them--they were as "easily led by the nose as asses are." But it was chaos. Since this was the early aughts, I was able to talk the custodians into allowing me to use a really pretty tall rolling platform for Juliet's balcony, and I had green garland running up the metal legs. We did NOT have the easy-to-read parallel texts so common now. They read it out of the textbook in the equivalent of the King James' version. I re-recited half the lines and translated entire passages and told myself that they "pretty much got it." I had made voice-driven "worksheets" that we filled out at the end of each period. I had a retractable plastic "happy dagger" for Juliet's last moments, and I had them do final projects.

Lots of freshmen boys viewed the project as a good chance to film themselves whacking each other with light sabers. I do remember a pair of girls doing an impressive interpretive dance of Mercutio and Tybalt's fight--they said it took a "looooonnnnnnng time." It probably did. One girl used her horse as Romeo (she's a math professor now). A group of guys led by Wyatt, who last I knew was writing blogs and doing videos from his basement somewhere in Russia, did an artsy film of Romeo killing Tybalt--they used closer and closer and closer close ups of one of the boys chanting, "I AM FORTUNE'S FOOL FORTUNE'S FOOL FORTUNE'S FOOL FORTUNE's FOOL" until only the mouth of the actor was shown whispering, "fortune's fool." I wish I still had that.

That's basically how I did ROMEO AND JULIET the first 36 TIMES. When I picked up three sections of English 9 (for everyone!) at my current school, there was Romeo again, crying about Rosaline and then creeping under Juliet's balcony. I have to admit it. I had lost my spark. I still did my best, but it wasn't the best I had done. That was in the past. And although Romeo and Juliet is GORGEOUS poetry-- "O brawling love, oh loving hate!"--I had grown tired of the most famous love story of all time!?! Take that Cathy and Heathcliff, Gatsby and Daisy, Othello and Desdemona...those didn't end well either.

Anyway, I'm still reciting lines, having them act it out, mostly having them read the "real" side of the book, and explaining every scene. BUT, I'm always soooo glad when we read that "Alllllll are punished" and we get to watch the weird DiCaprio movie. (If you haven't see it, Romeo takes a hit of something before the Capulet party. Fortunately, he totally sobers right up by sticking his head into some water--is it the giant aquarium?) Anyway, at that point, if I can get the school's AV equipment to work, it's easy. It's almost over. Thank my star-crossed stars.

I hate to say it, but I think I'm kind of "over" teaching Romeo and Juliet. I believe I still pulled it off and they enjoyed it and learned, but of all the things I teach each year, it is my least favorite. Sigh. (Again, arguably the most beautiful piece of literature though.)

Fortunately, NOT EVERYONE at our school is a burn out when it comes to the freshmen introduction to Shakespeare!

I work with a fantastic woman named Priscilla (she and I weirdly went to the same tiny high school four hours away and several years apart). She is an incredibly upbeat, adventurous, funny, and gifted teacher. (She also has glittery silver boots--and some cool purple shoes.) Priscilla joined our building's ELA cast a few years ago and teaches our Advanced English 9 students (along with two other preps). The Shakespeare unit is not done for Priscilla when they finish the play--she's on to the creative follow-up! Below, she describes her students' original productions. If I weren't so old, I would maybe try to steal her idea. (Alas, I am not teaching freshmen next year--which I will miss, except, you know.)

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PRISCILLA's PLAY PROJECT described by Priscilla

"One of my, and most importantly, one of my Advanced 9th grade students', favorite assignments is writing and performing their own original play! After reading Romeo and Juliet for about a month, and thus being immersed in the play-writing style, students are tasked with writing their own original play, in groups of preferably 4, complete with at least 1 prop per character (usually they perform with several more) and costumes. They perform on the stage in our auditorium in front of the other students in their class and any administrators/ teachers who can attend.

Back to groups for a moment, I have found that the magic number is 4 per group, but 5 will work, while 3 isn’t really enough to portray enough characters for a complete play. I have also found that me choosing the students’ groups, mostly to keep the genders in each group balanced, is best, even when the students beg to choose their own groups, which they will, most certainly!

At the beginning of the project, students are often overwhelmed and I need to remind them, “One Step At A Time.”  If students just write their play, props and costumes will come, as undoubtedly a character in the story will talk on their cell phone, or lay down and go to sleep, or sit in a chair.  As for costumes, students don’t need full costumes, a scarf or hat for each character is sufficient, just enough to identify specific characters just in case one member of the group needs to play two different characters.

By the end of the project, I hear students say something to the effect of, “I thought this project was impossible, but it was Awesome!” or “That was the best thing we did all year!”  When administration or other teachers come to watch the plays, students notice!  “Can you believe (insert name) came to watch?”  I even invite our school media team to come to the play performances so pictures end up on our Facebook page etc.  It is so awesome to recognize the students outside of the classroom for their hard work! "

(T's note about P's picture: it's a shame you can't see her feet--her footwear = always fab.)