Shakespeare is required in many schools all over the world. In the UK it’s compulsory for almost all students. But trouble and Shakespeare in school seem to go hand in hand these days. Not all teachers know that much or even enjoy Shakespeare. How are the students going to get anything out of this kind of education? The Royal Shakespeare Company has an answer.
They’ve created a new program called Stand Up For Shakespeare whose purpose is to improve students experiences when learning about Shakespeare! An article in the Official London Theatre Guide can give you more of the story.
The RSC asks schools to have students get up and speak Shakespeare on their feet, see live performances of the plays, and introduce the subject to kids gently at a younger age before they’ve reached the point of hearing Shakespeare horror stories.
What a great idea! It makes me happy to see this happening and I really hope there is some success with this program. I can only wish the the US would follow suit, but I think it’ll take several more years. Maybe by then I’ll be in a place of power to make it happen! A guy can dream, can’t he?