Irvington Eighth-graders Bring Shakespeare Play To Life

IRVINGTON, NY — Eighth-graders at Irvington Middle School — who had been reading William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in their English Language Arts classes — recently acted out scenes from the play to better understand the meaning behind the author’s words. They worked together to put on the performance, which was a culmination of their monthlong reading intensive unit.

“Not only did the students memorize their lines, but they started to think about what they were saying and why they were saying it,” said English teacher Tara Chillemi, who teaches the unit along with Samantha Gold and Linda Palumbo. “They made suggestions and tried out new ways to act out the scenes, such as positions on stage and gestures to coincide with feelings.”

Assisted by props and costumes, the students said that acting out the play was an interactive way for them to comprehend difficult vocabulary and express their creativity while interpreting Shakespeare’s language.

Theater educator Peter Royston helped prepare the students for their performance and embraced their creativity and enthusiasm throughout the experience. His visit and the performance were made possible thanks to a grant from the Irvington Education Foundation.

“I learned about the different interpretations of the play; more specifically, Mr. Royston’s interpretations,” eighth-grader Alexander Lee said. “I valued his interpretation because I realized that pieces of writing — especially plays by Shakespeare — have an opening for interpreting it different ways while still understanding the main theme.”

Another student said she loved being on stage with her classmates and immersing herself in the Shakespearean times.

“[Shakespeare’s] use of language is fascinating and very fun to explore,” eighth-grader Chloe Banino said.

Photo caption: Irvington Middle School eighth-graders recently acted out scenes from William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Photo credit: Irvington Union Free School District.