What you will . . .

Two more sleeps until "Twelfth Night" opens.  If you are attending the play with me for the matinee (A Block on Wednesday, D Block on Thursday), please be at the theatre in your seat ready to go at 1 p.m.  The play is two hours long and we don't want to keep you after the bell, but if you are late, then we will start late!  I am expecting to see exemplary audience behavior - no phones or hand held devices -- no getting up and going to the washroom during the performance!  The ticket price is $5.00 and the money goes to a good cause -- the Drama Club receives no funding from the school and we give out scholarships to deserving grade 12's every year.  If you are attending both shows, you need only pay once.

The beauty of Shakespeare is that it is not just "of [Shakespeare's] time but of all time".  If you've seen Shakespeare plays before, you might have seen "Troilus and Cressida" set in the American Civil War, or "The Taming of the Shrew" set in the old West, or "Hamlet" in Nazi German, or "Romeo and Juliet" set in medieval Japan.  It all works!  Our version of "Twelfth Night" is set on the mythical Caribbean island of Illyria and is in a commedia del'arte style.  Mr. Price's beautiful set suggests a huge precious pearl washed up on the beach.

The play is meant to be funny (and amazingly, the jokes work today, just as they did in the 17th century!) so feel free to laugh!  Ms. Levin and I (we co-directed) will be laughing heartily throughout!

I have added the instructions for the "show and tell" speech here -- we will not be doing it immediately (not till June) but I want you to have lots of time to think about what you want to bring.

Show and tell!

In June, the grade eights will be presenting their show and tell speeches.  Your speech should be two minutes long (one minute is too short, and three minutes is too long!)  You should bring something from home about which you can speak in an interesting way for two minutes.  (It could be a souvenir you acquired on holiday, or something you won, or a piece of art you created, or a special gift you received, or a toy you like when you were little or anything!  Whatever would make an interesting story.)  Prepare your speech - it might help to write it down and then practice saying it.  I expect that when you deliver it, you will speak clearly and project your voice.  You will stand comfortably at center stage and not fidget or pace.

Your speech should take this form.

1.  Tell us what the item is.  You could describe it briefly.  (For example, these are the Mickey Mouse ears I got at Disneyland.  When my parents told me we were going to California, I dreamed that I would be able to come home with this hat!)

2.  Tell how you acquired the item.  (For example, you could describe the experience of training and preparing to play a certain sport, and then give us a description of the "big game" and how you played and the circumstances that resulted in you receiving the medal or the item you are showing.)

3.  You can conclude with what you learned from the experience or what the rest of us could take away from your speech (perhaps that you should listen to your parents and then you won't get lost at Disneyland or that if you keep trying, you will succeed).