“All the world’s a stage”

said the Bard of Avon.

I’m taking you behind the scenes for an

inside look at producing your

Shakespeare . Extravaganza

You have in your hands now the sacred guide sheet for your project. Let’s look at it to review what we know and to see what’s ahead.

Here are the outcomes I’m hoping for you:1. Connect what you know about the plays from Eliot Engles’

information to what you discover from reading summaries and doing on-line research on your own.

2. Sustain some vigorous reading and research to expand your knowledge of Shakespeare

3. Feel more comfortable with Renspeak by hearing and using the language.

4. Encourage and help one another on your various projects. 5. Work effectively in a group if you choose, and realize you work

better solo if that’s what you need to do.6. Plan a media production that involves oral interpretation.7. Execute your plans using appropriate check sheets, drafts, to

do lists, practices, etc.8. Present your Extravaganza on time, well-done, and within time

limits.9. Totally enjoy the Extravaganza, oranges, meat pies, bear claws,

tomatoes , and liquid refreshment.

Shakespeare Extravaganza Expanded

“I pray…thou likest it…” Much Ado About Nothing I, 1

Before you produce this project outside of class, in class you will have: 1. Listened to an enjoyable Engle’s tape about Shakespeare and Elizabethan theatre (6th grade) 2. Performed a Sonnet and original parody of that sonnet live (6th grade Shakespeare in the Garden) 3. Watched some student projects similar to what you will prepare 4. Read Mrs. Harrell’s sample “project outline,” Grant’s essay, a Macbeth parody, background music

and other info, Jewel in the Crown extra credit, and reviewed Renspeak from website 5. Watched the Reduced Shakespeare Company DVD. 6. Perused interesting background books to keep you in the Shakespeare milieu, read the summaries

provided in class and/ or on-line (the Sonnets site from 6th grade includes summaries of plays and famous quotes. Shmoop covers the plays as only Shmoop can. No Fear Shakespeare will be indispensible. The Shakespeare for Dummies book is helpful too. You readers will enjoy the tales from Shakespeare story versions.)

7. Understood I’ll be available to help you decipher your text, approve your summary, parody, quote arrangement, etc, offer costumes, props, ideas, and whatever help and encouragement you need. Be sure to use interesting camera angles, props, slide show pictures, costumes, etc—whatever makes what you do come alive for the audience. Be certain you have all the pronunciations and phrasings perfectly planned and practiced before you do the final production.

Here are options for your Shakespeare Extravaganza: “Speak the speech, I pray you…trippingly on the tongue…

and do not saw the air too much with your hand…” Hamlet III, 2

A. Produce a brief plot summary of a play. This cannot be a lengthy regurgitation reading of the plot and should not include every little detail. If you are doing this you were probably inspired by some of the Reduced Shakespeare Company’s antics. Take notes from information you gather from various play summaries so you can then prepare your summary in a cool format. Have fun here but be clear! You will need to sketch a story board before you film or make a slide show.

B. Choose a famous monologue and write a parody of that monologue and perform both. Be sure to introduce the context of your chosen passage—i. e. what play it’s from, when it occurs, who was involved, why was it said and what was the effect. Also, before your performance, cleverly present a small glossary of unfamiliar words and definitions that were in the passage.

C. For you true thespians you may want to present, with high drama, a passage of a play that is not too difficult to understand but includes gorgeous language that is too wonderful to parody—it just needs to stand alone! I’m thinking portions of Romeo and Juliet, Henry V St. Crispin’s Day, “What a piece of work is man…”I have of late but wherefore I know not lost all my mirth…” from Hamlet, “This royal throne of kings…from Richard II (Oh, so many more to discover…) See B above for what to include to set this up.

D. Finally, it might be fun and educational to gather famous short quotes and/or expressions from Shakespeare and weave them together to summarize the play they are from orjuxtapose them as interesting thoughts or in a pattern that seems cool to you. This could be presented as voice over on a slide show of the quotes on visual backgrounds. The “Sonnets” site from 6th grade has collections of such quotes ready-made, or you could choose your own from what you discover from Googling “famous Shakespeare quotes from…whatever play (or focus) you choose.” Remember what Eliot did with the 300 words from Shakespeare too. “You’re Quoting Shakespeare” is on our website.

Shakespeare wrote comedies, histories, and tragedies. Which areas might you want to

explore?Does death and destruction in histories and

tragedies make you drool like a groundling watching violence?

How about the supernatural beings?

How about guilt and insanity?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dgbbtUbgcM 4:34

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aaBmRXzz54 1:32

Histories: Once more unto the breach (Henry V) 2:39http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8v3WclXaRE

St Crispin’s Day (Henry V) 5:41http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-yZNMWFqvM

Winter of our discontent (Richard III) 6:05 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=px5hvNWoVLE

For God’s sake let us sit upon the ground (Richard II) 1:44 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NHXQ3W-Cek

This royal throne of kings, this sceptered isle (Richard II) 2:09

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fJDYBMicWw

Friends, Romans, Country men (Julius Caesar) 3:41http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/296110/Julius-Caesar-Movie-Clip-Friends-Romans-Countrymen-.html

Anthony and Cleopatra (prize winning student performance and movie clip)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeEffRDxMgY (6 min)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUgDlqjc_mw (8 min)

Battle of Agincourt movie trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pMVVxSfPK4 (1:29)

Tragedies

Hamlet: To Be or Not to Be… 3:17http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7TgTb_0wsgHamlet: Oh that this too, too solid flesh would melt…

2:33http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kOeCahcVzQ Hamlet: Angels and ministers of grace defend us…

1:07http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDt2sI89assHamlet: Polonius’ advice to Laertes 2:08http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfV1DneGttIMacbeth: Tomorrow and tomorrow…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZnaXDRwu84 2:06 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuUgUx2p99E 1:40Macbeth: Is this a dagger 2:48http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cA0NyeFpCY8

Of course, Shakespeare wrote comedies too, especially revolving around mistaken identities and various farcical mix-ups , confusion and word play. These are a challenge to summarize succinctly, but you can find some famous monologues and scenes in the comedies.

All the World’s a Stage droll reading with art http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IFiniVsLf4 3:02

All the World’s a Stage well read by man in café http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTbLlf00CoE 2:07

Possible formats for presenting your summaries and/or parodies: Dance, musicalhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65Cy4-rfd24 musical quotes montage (3:01)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCPy-Zgbb-s (mime of 7 Ages Watch the first 2

minutes only; the rest doesn’t apply to what we are doing) Music, rap, country, rock http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlP723GL9Vk (7 Ages rap) 2:20http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3w2MTXBebg (epic rap battle Dr. Seuss vs

Shakespeare)2:51 Breaking news http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nuwEH-v0Bc (Julius Caesar)

4:58 Puppets or toys…Legos, Barbies, Transformers, etc (see Skin of Teeth summary in 8th grade unit plans on class page for example of this) Soap opera or reality show, cooking show, etc. Police drama, mystery, CSI Interview, Q and A Game show or video game Blog, tweets, etc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyoMzqrk3xY (Anthony and

Cleopatra online dating) 3:09 Children’ s show, Sesame Street, Dr. Seuss, etc Montage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XF11gUYH7U4 (2:47)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpCZT5F2YwQ (4:26)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUgDlqjc_mw (All the World summary with clips from play)

2:02http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VtcbN-zGfk (Lot ‘O Shakespeare clips juxtaposed from all

plays and some sonnets; similar to Reduced Shakespeare Company 10 min)

Some of the Bard’s language simply soars…Romeo and Juliet balcony scene Act II, 2

Hamlet what a piece of work is man http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=8205kJSig4A&feature=endscreen (Star Trek 1:35)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmeZKaCz4lM :44http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5iG5NitBgI 2:44Some of it you remember for the creative insults!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zchaqy2AlnQ 2:14

Not a day goes by sans Shakespeare’s influence on life, literature and language.

That’s why we are celebrating every year!So learn and enjoy #3, 4, 5, and 6 from our sacred handout .Choose your play or passage based on the subject, tone, type

and technique that would work best.Do the required reading and research.Plan and practice (planning, changing, and making this slide

show has taken me 12 hours so far and I’m sure I’ll make changes as I learn more about enhancing power point presentations)

Put it all together into your finished product and upload it to my school laptop (your name, play, presentation type)

Bring your Globe Theatre food on the Extravaganza day and enjoy the work of our Harrellland e-Players.