An elite group of Shakespeare loving, theatrically inclined Madison High School students are in the midst of preparing for Shakesperience, an event at Drew in which students from various schools converge on the stage of the Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey in a non-competitive forum of verse and prose. Twelve to sixteen schools attend Shakesperience and five to seven will be performing the day our Dodgers take the stage. Created to foster a love and appreciation for Shakespeare’s works, Shakesperience gives interested students the chance to engage with the Bard both as actors and audience members.
The Shakesperience group has been meeting on Thursdays during the common lunch period in preparation for this event. Coordinated by Ms. Wessel and Mr. Oswin, the group viewed the movie Much Ado About Nothing and chose the climax of the comedic play as their selected scene. As they diligently learn their lines and amp up rehearsal time to two days per week, the student group anticipates a successful and enjoyable performance and experience. Or should I say, “shakesperience.” Says student director Grace Johnson-Debaufre, “Shakesperience is such a wonderful opportunity for us to develop our acting abilities and be able to do justice to the complex emotions and nuances prevalent in the works of a genius like Shakespeare. It’s amazing to work together with so many talented people to accomplish such a dramatic and challenging scene.”
Participating in Shakesperience is undoubtedly a wonderful experience for our aspiring actors, literature lovers, and culture connoisseurs here at Madison. There’s much ado about something because Shakesperience is making quite a stir.