CASTING A SPOTLIGHT ON EDUCATION Carl Howell, Actor and HVSF Teaching Artist who previously appeared under the Theater Tent in 2012 as Romeo, discusses the power of Shakespeare performance to ignite student imaginations… The Chappaqua Summer Scholarship Program (CSSP) is a three-year, by-application-only summer school for motivated students from under-resourced New York City high schools. With a focus on academic and cultural enrichment, CSSP offers its students a wide array of creative experiences, including workshops led by HVSF teaching artists. In 2018, our program focused on The Taming of the Shrew, and I witnessed 22 students become more themselves. They found identity and ownership and community through the words, ideas, and themes set forth in the play.
I’ve devoted a large portion of my life to reading, performing, and teaching Shakespeare, and I’d love to share a little of what I’ve learned:
Reading it can be hard,
Shakespeare is science.
especially if you’re 15 and this is the first time you’ve ever looked at a Shakespeare play. It’s a bit like learning a new language.
Before you can act it, you need to investigate the words you’re actually saying.
It’s not boring at all.
Hamlet says, “suit the action to the word, the word to the action.” It’s not just your voice and some text; it’s a full-body expression of a feeling that’s so much larger than anything you’ve felt. It takes cardio, articulation, imagination, and energy!
Even though this is a common misconception by students (and some adults!). Here’s why…
Shakespeare is math. He writes in a rhythm, in a set structure. With practice and courage, if you allow your brain and heart to sync up with that rhythm, it immediately becomes more clear and more exciting.
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Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival 2019
Shakespeare is gym class.
When you get it, you get it.
