{photos by Michelle Dorman}
Maybe you didn’t know this, but our Upper Middle Schoolers periodically get together outside of school to engage in learning experiences that go along with literature or history (or sometimes just for fun). And believe it or not, they have a blast doing this in their free time! Today Cade Newman, our UMS History/Literature teacher, writes about their latest gathering:
At the Theule household, on a Friday afternoon,
In fair Arroyo Grande, where we lay our scene,
Gathered more than 30 UMS students
To act out Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
Fresh from their walk (or run) at Friday’s RUNaissance, these willing players spent more than two hours acting out the entire play. It was quite the scene, with swordplay (wooden and plastic swords), kissing (fist bumping), and death (laying on the cold concrete).
Mrs. Ferrarini, our amazing librarian, and Mr. Newman, our UMS History/Lit teacher, planned the evening and the students came out en force and acted their hearts out. Not until the beginning of each scene did they know which part they would play, and reading Shakespeare cold isn’t so easy. Just ask Mr. Newman.
These kids did a fabulous job! Of course there were missteps and mispronounced words, fumbles and bumbles, but they just laughed at their mistakes and kept right on acting. After Act 3, there was an intermission for snacks which included a very fitting poison punch.
Then the play resumed and parents began arriving to pick up their students, but the play lasted longer than expected and they weren’t about to stop before they finished. Perhaps it was the last fist bump they longed to witness?
What other school would even think to ask middle school students to give up their Friday afternoon to take part in a reading of Shakespeare? Not only were they asked, but more than half of the UMS student body came and they had a great time. Making Shakespearean memories, SLOCA style!
I hear next year A Midsummer Night’s Dream might be on the docket. What do you suppose they’ll use for a donkey’s head? And will the fist bumping tradition continue? I think so.
#onlyatsloca
Love this! Thanks for sharing this experience with all of us, Cade. And thank you for the photos, Michelle! Families with younger students, see what you have to look forward to? We love that our students are getting to know Shakespeare and each other in captivating ways like this. Here are more photos to enjoy:
