Romeo and Juliet : An Interdisciplinary Collaboration
By RoseMarie Alfieri
“ Two households , both alike in dignity , In fair Verona , where we lay our scene …”
To read Shakespeare is one thing . Living it through performance is something else , altogether .
This past winter , as a culminating experience to their study of Romeo and Juliet , Saint David ’ s eighth graders and their peers from Marymount School participated in a series of performance-oriented workshops on the iconic Shakespearean love story . Each year , our eighth graders interpret Romeo and Juliet from historical , psychological , and ethical perspectives , and learn to appreciate the Bard ’ s use of language and style . “ We delve very deeply into the language and time period of the play , as well as the actual plot and storyline ,” said Saint David ’ s Eighth Grade English Teacher Tom Ryan . Marymount girls also closely read and analyze the play . The boys and girls would carry their in-depth knowledge with them as this year ’ s workshops began .
But let ’ s back up a minute . This unit stems from Dr . O ’ Halloran ’ s call for increased opportunities for our boys to meaningfully collaborate with peers in girls ’ schools , and to maximize the use of our theatre to grow the drama program . In seeking out one such opportunity , Saint David ’ s Assistant Headmaster , Upper School Head and Marymount current parent Alexis Aoyama jumped on the idea for the Romeo and Juliet partnership when it was proposed by Marymount Drama Chair / Saint David ’ s current parent Rita Pietropinto Kitt and Marymount Upper Middle School Head / Marymount parent Jillian Pagliocca . The three administrators / parents then mapped out their vision and goals . Two primary goals emerged : The first was to bring the boys and girls together in a meaningful way so that they were collaborating on a shared product or performance . The second , was to augment the academic study the boys and girls had engaged in with Shakespeare through a performance-oriented , theatrical experience . Not only would this teach the students new skills , it would also enhance comprehension of the text .
“ You learn Shakespeare through performance ,” said Ms . Kitt . “ I have always found that it resonates with students when they speak it , get on their feet , and hear the rhythms . When I teach Shakespeare , I tell them to