Shakespeare Camp: "Though this be madness, yet there is method in it."

I’ve been called a special kind of crazy on more than one occasion.  I’m usually told this after I announce my plan for the summer’s Shakespeare Camp. 

What is it that makes Shakespeare so unapproachable? The Bard of Avon intimidated me in high school.  I had this idea in my head that my dyslexia would keep me from understanding the language. During my freshman year, I completely fell in love with the story of Romeo and Juliet.  It’s the first real tragedy I studied, and I still get that heart wrenching feeling when Romeo doesn’t receive the letter in time.  It is one of the most moving stories I have ever read.  For extra credit, I memorized Juliet’s lines in the balcony scene.  I’m sad to say that they were the only Shakespeare words that I memorized while I was in school.  When I was rereading the play this week, the words of the balcony scene greeted me like a familiar friend.  I wish I had memorized more Shakespeare in my youth.

After I got married, I got a job as a teachers’ aide at a classical school.  I completely fell in love with Classical education, and I was inspired by young students who studied Shakespearian plays.  The next year, I was hired as a fourth grade at a traditional school, and I decided that my students would perform The Fifteen Minute Hamlet, a play my college drama troop had performed, as a big end of the year program.  The Fifteen Minute Hamlet is a one act play by Tom Stoppard.  It is pure Shakespeare, ultra-abridged.  I loved it.  The quick pace makes the tragedy almost comical.  My class of 7 boys and 2 girls loved it. Who wouldn’t love ghosts, and poison, and sword fights, and skulls? In fact, many years later (am I showing my age?!) I got this lovely note from one of the students who had been in that first fourth grade class.

“Dear Mrs. McAdams,  

So a couple of days ago, we started reading Hamlet in my AP English class. My teacher was and still is extremely impressed that I had been exposed to Shakespeare in fourth grade. As I'm reading through it though, all I can think about is our absolutely fantastic performance that we did. It's almost next to impossible to read it because I'll hear Noah and Jacob and Isaac and Kelly and everyone else saying the lines! However, just that little edited version we read has made a world of a difference for me. I cannot thank you enough for making us read through something that people eight years above us were reading and helping us understand it. You've made AP English easier!"

This is the number one reason I teach Shakespeare to children: to build confidence.  When you expose children to something that seems hard and they understand a little bit about it, it makes them believe that they can do even more.  I love teaching hard things to young children.  It’s my philosophy of education in a nutshell.  Some of my other reasons for teaching Shakespeare are the story, the language, the poetry, and the fun.

FAQ about Shakespeare Camp

Where did you get the idea for a Shakespeare Camp?!

 I’m not going to bore you with all the details of how Shakespeare camp came to be.  Here’s my abridged version.  I was very familiar with teaching The Fifteen Minute Hamlet to kids.  I also spent five summers in high school and college as a camp counselor.  My husband moved me out in the country on some land that feels “campy” to me.  Naturally, all this begs the question: Why NOT have a Shakespeare Camp? (“Why not” is also a part of my philosophy of education.  Just call me Vygotsky. )

What Is Shakespeare Camp?

This will be my third summer to host a Shakespeare Camp.  I call it camp because we play campy games like Capture the Flag (Capulets versus Montegues), my version of Giants, Wizards, and Elves (Midsummer Night’s Dream- Fairies, Humans, and Elves), archery, etc. 

Every day we have devotions by the cross.

We make crafts and sing songs. 

It is a day camp, with a Shakespearian theme.  Each year we study and perform a play.  We have performed Hamlet, Midsummer Night’s Dream, and this year we will perform Romeo and Juliet.

We have memory work set to music.  (Side note: Today my lovely daughter said exasperatingly, “This is what my mom does.  She takes perfectly good music and turns it into school!”  She is not wrong.)  The memory work is pure Shakespeare.  We study iambic pentameter.  We study the life of William Shakespeare. I wrote a song about the Bard's life set to the tune of the Beverly Hillbillies. We study tragedies and comedies.  We practice and preform an abridged version of the play.  We have fun with language and poetry.  Shakespeare camp makes Shakespeare memorable and enjoyable.  I do not strive for a perfect performance.  It is not a drama camp.  I’m more focused on learning and enjoying the story.

What about all the heavy themes?

Yes.  That’s a tricky one.  Some children are not ready to hold a skull and lament, “Alas. Poor Yorik.” Honestly, I’m still wrestling with Romeo and Juliet.  It’s such a sad story.  I always go back to the Bible.  What does the Bible say about this? Was the decision to end his life a good one?  Did anything good come out of Romeo and Juliet’s deaths? Can God use tragedy for his good and glory?  I believe He can and He does.  I have had a few students that request to take a role other than the ghost in Hamlet, or to be a character that lives. I always honor those requests.  A few parents have kept their sensitive children home instead of performing in the tragedies.  They join us when we do a comedy.  At the moment, I’m considering Taming of the Shrew for next year.

And the question you are all waiting for:  When is the next Shakespeare Camp?

We will meet at my house on Friday June 1, and the week of June 4-8 from 9am to 12:30 pm.  Our performance will be on Friday, June 8 at 7:00 pm.

The cost is $35 per child and $30 for each additional child in the same family. *As always, if money is an issue, please let me know.  We will work something out! The cost goes toward supplies, memory work CD, copies, and my time.

Students must be ages 5-12.  This is for any child.  Every year I have children who are in traditional school as well as homeschoolers. If your child is part of the Challenge program, they are welcome to apply to be a Counselor in Training (CIT). This is a volunteer position that would count for service hours. 

I prefer to have parents stay.  If you need to drop off your children, please arrange that with me in advance.

Please let me know if you are interested!  We would love to have you!