Performing with Shakespeare

Charlotte Mason had her students perform three major plays each school year. If my memory serves me correctly, the fall term was a Christmas play, the winter term was a Shakespeare play and the Spring term was a literature play (e.g. Alice in Wonderland). We also try to have three performances a year not including our Thanksgiving and Easter recitations. This term we are reading The Merchant of Venice and are watching the play online. We are already familiar with the story plot since the children read the Nesbit and Lamb’s versions of the play when they were younger. The older girls are editing the original Shakespeare lines and are practicing for the ‘big day.’ This is one of their favorite things to do. We have a big plastic trunk with old dress-up clothes in it and it is one of our most beloved items in the school room. Here is a photo of the children practicing.

one step at a time...