Sydney School Shakespeare

Sydney School Shakespeare

The Sport for Jove Theatre Company is having its largest ever school Shakespeare program in 2019.

The season is designed by theatre and education professionals, encompassing full-scale productions, symposiums for HSC students and The Shakespeare Carnival for both primary and secondary schools.

Six full-scale productions will be presented: Arthur Miller’s The Crucible and the classic Shakespearean works Othello, The Merchant of Venice, The Tempest, Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. On stage these texts leap off the page and into vivid life, taking students’ understanding of the texts to new depths.

Sport for Jove’s HSC Symposiums are opportunities to deepen students’ practical understanding through experiencing and analysing key scenes and characters in performance.

Presented as a lecture, interspersed with scene work and expert commentary from Artistic Director Damien Ryan and his team, these symposiums explore famous scenes and speeches in multiple ways. This opens diverse critical reading and unlocks language and character. Professional actors also discuss the ambiguities and challenges of each of the plays.

It’s aimed at helping students extract the key ingredients and critical thinking required to write on the plays under exam conditions.

The Shakespeare Carnival is a unique opportunity for students from primary and secondary schools to put their skills in music, dance and drama to the test with a state-wide competition that culminates in grand final performances at the Seymour Centre.

Students develop their own pieces in a range of categories and perform at School, Regional and State levels, improving confidence and literacy, building their ability to collaborate, and introducing them to Shakespeare’s stories and language in a fun and playful program that develops skills and abilities that are artistic, academic and personal.

More information on Sport for Jove’s extensive education program can be found at sportforjove.com.au

Image: A Midsummer Night's Dream