Hey y'all --
Been meaning to send this for a while. I saw this performance at Hobart Elementary last
May, a wonderful experience, and wanted to make sure all of you knew about Rafe
Esquith's work. His students work all year on one play after school, and also form
their own band (Rafe teaches them how to play all the instruments during recess and after
school) and interweave song and Shakespeare in a two-hour performance. He basically has
created a one-room schoolhouse that occasionally goes on the road for trips to historic
sites around the U.S.. I've visited his class each year for the past three years and
it always amazes me how many connections I find there with Sh at W.
One year I got to be in the room when Ian McKellan visited. Wow -- the squeals of
delight, it was as if the Beatles had arrived... He's been a patron of the class since
he first met Rafe and a group of his students back in the '80s when they attended a
performance of "Acting Shakespeare."
Those of you in or near L.A., I hope to return next May to see Rafe's students perform
"Midsummer" -- we can all meet there next year in late May or early June. We
should plan this in February, the tickets go fast, they just perform in their little room,
as you can see from the photos, though they have a light board on loan from the guy who
does the Oscars (there are some advantages to being in L.A.!).
THEN, we all meet at Winedale and/or LaGrange to see Camp Shakespeare sessions #1 and #2.
It'll be a great summer of Shakespeare, even if we're not playing in the Barn
ourselves.
Look especially for the CE 2.2 and 3.1 pix... will bring back some memories....
http://www.hobartshakespeareans.org/performances_comedy_of_errors_2010.php
cheers,
cs