[Printer Friendly Version]   [How to E-mail This Article to A Friend]

WEEKLY NEWS 2: Shakespeare Camp For Kids

Imagine performing plays written by a famous playwright. Well, that's exactly what day-campers at the Rebel Shakespeare Company in Salem, Massachusetts, are doing! They are not only reading plays by William Shakespeare, they’re also performing them, too! This week, the theater company, which consists of actors between 8- and 16-years-old, will perform the play “Much Ado About Nothing.”

While some initially doubted kids’ ability to understand the sometimes complex language and plots of Shakespeare’s plays, Rebel’s artistic director, Keri Cahill, said that she believed that young people would be just as good--if not better--than adults at performing the world famous plays. Shakespeare’s plays are written in poetic language that often intimidates adults, but Cahill says that kids embrace the challenge. Also, many of the stories involve magic, which interests many children.

Members of the theater company not only study Shakespeare’s plays, but they also learn acting techniques, yoga, and improvisational tricks. The campers also improve their self discipline during rehearsal, which is five days a week, beginning at 9AM and ending at 3PM.

Shakespeare, who lived in England during the 1600s, wrote numerous plays and poems.

--Written by Morgan Diamond

Write your own story telling us what you think about this article!

Read WEEKLY NEWS 3: NASA to Launch Shuttle