Deception. Vengeance. Madness. Consequences of corruption. Everyone seems to love a good revenge drama, which is why “Hamlet” has remained one of the most enduring plays through history.
Life lessons, if you look for them, abound in Shakespeare’s classic work.
“To thine own self be true.” This line is quoted often, but sometimes without the full understanding of its meaning. The line came from Polonius – a fool, scapegoat and politician in the play – and, depending on your reading of the text, is full of irony. Today, it’s used as encouragement in difficult times when decisions must be made.
“The world is a prison.” Hamlet himself utters this line with a sigh. It’s a reflection of his mental state and of the political circumstances that surround him. Can you think of a time you’ve felt that way?
“To be or not to be, that is the question.” So many philosophers have pondered life and death over the centuries, and today’s population is no different. The longer soliloquy from “Hamlet” is likely one of the most famous in history. So many other phrases have been parsed from its lines that most people don’t even know that “Hamlet” was the origin.
This spring, WYO PLAY has collaborated with Sheridan County School District 2 for the second year on an outreach program – Ye Olde Bronc Players. The afterschool group is led by Heather Bujans at Sheridan Junior High School with help from assistant directors Sabrina Culp and Erin Hanson. The program allows junior high students to take Shakespeare from the page to the stage in just 12 weeks.
This year, 30 students will take on “Hamlet,” which Bujans calls “the Olympics for acting.” The Wright Place educator has a degree in theater and a passion for Shakespeare, which she effectively instills in students through the program.
“Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t.” While teaching junior high school students one of the sturdiest Shakespeare works of all time may seem daunting, the lessons the students learn in performance, literature and life may be unmatched.
But, in the spirit of Hamlet, I’ll end this column here and simply encourage you to attend the performances April 11 and 12 at 7 p.m. in the Early Auditorium of Sheridan Junior High School. After all, “brevity is the soul of wit.”
Grace Cannon is the director of WYO PLAY, an education initiative of the WYO Performing Arts and Education Center that features a series of educational programs aimed at all age groups in creative, collaborative and playful artmaking. ‘PLAY’ stands for Place-based Performances, Life-long Learning, Accessibility for All, and Youthfulness.
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