This weekend was the performance of Romeo and Juliet. The girls performed it with three other children in our Poetry and Play Homeschool group. Tim photographed the performance since I was behind stage. One of the Dads agreed to juggle for us before hand.
P above is a dear friend and the mother of one of the actors -- she introduces the play for us.
We interspersed recitations throughout the play. C recites Act 2, Scene 7, Lines 139-166 from As You Like It.
K as Benvolio separates the fighting servants of the Capulets and Montagues.
Benvolio and Tybalt (C) cross blades.
P's two older boys helped out. Above her middle boy holds up a cue card letting the audience know what act and scene the children are performing. Her oldest son was our narrator and helped by filling in the blanks in our rapidly moving play.
My friend P's youngest child is Romeo and C is Juliet (all the girls got to play Juliet and all the boys got to play Romeo). P's son likes C. Before the play, we were playing eye spy with the kids while we waited for the audience to arrive and get seated. P's son patted a place on the couch for C to sit next to him and then he put his arm around her and kind of checked it all out (he didn't think anyone noticed). I think he was trying out the boy/girl thing on for size. It made me smile. He has told his parents he will marry C some day (comes from having two older brothers).
K performs the balcony scene as Juliet. The home we performed in couldn't have been arranged better for staging a play.
Friar Laurence weds Romeo and Juliet.
Juliet obtains her sleeping potion.
Juliet seizes Romeo's dagger.
K as Prince Escalus admonishes the feuding families to put aside their feud and remember the sacrifice of their children.
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K's recitation of Act V, Scene 2, Lines 381-400 from Twelfth Night.
Our cast. P's middle son (standing next to her) also mimed Mercutio's death for us.
The seats for the audience and a look at K's (the Mom whose home we performed and whose two children rounded out our cast of five) fabulous chandelier she made to help set the mood.
The banners with individual coats of arms that the kids made.
Candles that the kids made that decorating the buffet for the after play snacks and around the house.
Besides the fathers coming, we had two sets of grandparents (my Mom and Dad were one set) who came to watch the play.
It was a wonderful but exhausting experience. Believe it or not the three moms are considering doing it again with the kids next year. But the spring quarter will focus on poetry - it is less work for everyone.
All the details are superb, you are so right the home was a perfect setting - complete with a balcony. What an amazing production and the banners are wonderful. My oldest daughter wants to see a production of Romeo and Juliet, I was wondering if she was too young, but you have inspired me. Happy Valentine's Week!
ReplyDeleteThat is a wonderful experience for your kiddos. I remember reading all those plays but we never enacted them.
ReplyDeleteWhat a production! The coats of arms are fantastic. The girls look amazing in their costumes - and everyone so dedicated to pulling this off is inspiring, Melissa!
ReplyDeleteGreat costumes! Impressive for your girls to have learned lines from Shakespeare - I still find him hard to read. It must have been wonderful to watch! So cool.
ReplyDeleteI did Romeo & Juliet in English Literature in, I think, my third year at high school. I remember thinking it silly as a teenager that Juliet would actually stab herself over a boy. I still think it rather extreme. LOL :)
Fantastic! I remember, growing up, doing a play every New Year's Eve. We got together with my parents' best friends who had the same number and gender children as in our family. We would write, rehearse and then, at 10 p.m., give this half-hour play. Some years, it was silly. Some years, serious, but it was such a great learning experience, even if we kids didn't think we were learning anything.
ReplyDeleteKudos to tackling Shakespeare, too. I'm willing to bet the kids will remember, when they're 64, the Shakespeare they had to memorize.
My favorite photo is the one of Romeo and Juliet getting married. The look on the "friar's" face is priceless.
Looks like an excellent production and like everyone had fun! Thanks for sharing the photos!
ReplyDeleteFABULOUS! This is something we have never done.. thought about.. never done. I admire the dedication of the actors and you moms (and dads). I love your closing statement, about it being wonderful but exhausting.. and that you will do it again. So many of the things we do in our home school can be summed up in just that way.
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Debbie
** Once again a special fairy sent a lovely package my direction. The fairy this direction has been lazy but full of good intentions. Just you wait.. :)