Festival brings Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' to 40,000 students
And it shows.
When Michael Bahr, education director of the Utah Shakespearean Festival, begins talking about this year's education tour of "Romeo and Juliet," he lights up. He talks so animatedly and fast that it's hard for a reporter to keep up. The USF education tour has a 15-year history and continues to grow. Traveling throughout Utah, Nevada, Idaho and Arizona, the tour exposes 40,000 students to the works of Shakespeare.
"Since we've been here, the education program has just blossomed and done marvelously," Bahr said.
And this year is no exception.
"What's been really fun is 'Romeo and Juliet' is something all students study. It's generally in the curriculum. But very few students get to see it live on stage. It's usually crammed down your throat sitting at a desk. This is a great chance for students to see a live production that they can see and relate to."
Ann Tully, retired schoolteacher and director of "Romeo and Juliet," tried a different approach with the classic tale. "I wanted the students to realize that this is about them. That their problems as far as when they're in school when confronted with certain groups in school and having conflicts with other groups merely because they're in one group or another and how to deal with that."
"We load in at 7 a.m. for a 9 a.m. show," Bahr explained. "We ask that there be students here to help load it in. Six kids get to help."
The quick set-up is nothing compared to the challenge of making Shakespeare accessible to students. So Tully and Bahr tried a "timeless and relevant approach," but Bahr is quick to point out it's not "contemporary."
"The reason we're afraid of that word is because people will think we've changed the words. In reality, we have kept the language very much intact," he said of the 90-minute version of the classic.
"The designers came up with a wonderful set that is metal framework," Bahr said, describing their relevant approach. "The framework turns and allows you to go from place to place that sets the different locations."
Tully said it's interesting because the actors were in contemporary clothes but use period weapons. "We're not setting in today, we're just setting in a nebulous period. And the men are wearing leather pants."
And Bahr addresses what many might be thinking. "We get some people who say, 'How can you have leather pants and a sword?' The kids have no problem with that. The kids know the world they're in."
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