Spooky Shakespeare

On Saturday morning, Clare and I headed to the Folger Shakespeare Library for its monthly family program. We missed several programs over the summer due to conflicting plans, but we were happy to be back this month. Often Clare takes along a friend or Meg, but today it was just the two of us. 

The theme of this month's program was Supernatural Shakespeare. The kids acted out Shakespeare scenes that included witches, ghosts and basically anything magical. As a group, they began with the witches from Macbeth. "Double, double, toil and trouble./Fire burn and cauldron bubble." I am pretty sure that my own love of Shakespeare began when my 11th grade English teacher acted out the three witches by himself in class. It was amazing. 

After perfecting Macbeth, the kids moved on to The Tempest. Clare was happy to take on the role of the fairy, Ariel, and properly attired herself for the role. 

The final scene the kids attempted was from Romeo and Juliet, in which Juliet believes she sees Tybalt's ghost. Clare and her acting partner attempted to create the appearance of Tybalt's body, with Clare (still in her Ariel costume) arising as his spirit. 

It is so fun that the kids get to try out their acting skills on the stage of the Folger Theatre. As a parent, it is quite comfortable to watch from the cushioned theater seats. If your child has any interest in Shakespeare or acting, I highly recommend the monthly family programs at the Folger Shakespeare Library.