We’re talking of the theatrical type of course! If not, I highly recommend it. As part of our Renaissance history studies, we concluded with a musical play titled “Shakespeare Unshackled,” from Bad Wolf Press which turned out to be one of the highlights of the year. While my co-teachers actually did the hard work to practice with the students and make the play come to fruition, I can say from a parent (and teacher) perspective that it had a huge impact on the students (two of the students were my own children) and they still talk about the play to this day. It created a sense of fun and unity.
What I loved most about this particular script was the inclusion of humor and lots of music. The authors of the musical have made the songs fun and relevant to upper elementary-aged students. (This particular play was performed by 4th – 6th graders, although it’s recommended for 5th – 9th grade).
Not only was performing the play both amusing and engaging, lots of learning was happening to boot! One song that had a huge impact included many of the coined phrases that come from Shakespeare, such as “elbow room,” “catch a cold,” and “it’s Greek to me.” (Listen to the Phrasemaker song for more details). Not only did a discussion come from this, but so did recognition of coined phrases in their reading and everyday conversations.
Keep in mind that taking on a play of this length is a big project, but by all means doable. You will need to plan ahead if you want to create a final production for an audience. Our class rehearsed over the course of a month before the final performances for parents were held. The play was introduced and scripts were handed out for students to read over a few days. Basic auditions were held for those who wanted a speaking part. Once parts were assigned, the students practiced as a group for about an hour at a time, usually three times a week in the afternoon. During transitions and meeting times, the CD with all of the songs was playing to help the children to learn and practice the lyrics. As we neared the performance day, we had a few rehearsals in the classroom, and a couple on the stage where the students would perform on the big day. The performances were fantastic and a wonderful experience for performers and the audience alike.
If you don’t have time to create a full production of the play, you can incorporate elements of drama by using the script and/or CD as classroom resources for readers’ theater or just supplemental to relevant lessons. The content is phenomenal and guaranteed to teach your students in an engaging and memorable way!
Shakespeare Unshackled script image courtesy of Bad Wolf Press
