Where Art Thou Shakespeare Class?

There are fun things stirring within the English department this year, and one of them includes Shakespeare. Paul Scavotto piloted the semester-long class senior selective English class, Shakespeare: Here and Now, with the goal of giving more exposure to high school students.

Students enrolled in the course read Shakespeare classics, such as Taming of The Shrew and Twelfth Night. They also act out the scenes and “get the creative juices flowing,” according to senior Cole Risley. The class is not a typical English class, according to students. It is aimed at individual expression, as it includes creative warms ups and role plays.

To get into the Shakespearean mood, the class will usually begin with a warmup, when students break off into small groups to read, explore, and analyze the complex text. To connect to the “Now” portion of the text, the class views current day film adaptations of the Shakespearean texts along with the original film adaptation, such as the 2006 film “She’s The Man,” starring Amanda Bynes based on the Shakespeare classic Twelfth Night.

Across the board, students recommend the course to students who have to select an English class next year. Current students in the class claim that the class “really gets you out of your comfort zone with your peers” while at the same time “expands insight on Shakespeare.” So for any upcoming juniors deciding between semester-long courses, Shakespeare: Here and Now might be the perfect class for you.