This nationally-acclaimed residency uses Romeo and Juliet, its characters, and its many pivotal decision moments as tools for Freshman students to imagine and rehearse life-saving choices in the face of armed violence, peer pressure, prejudice, and inadequate guidance. Working in concert with educators, TSC Teaching-Artists (TA’s) interweave these strategically-placed sessions, creating a positive and enthusiastic first impression of Shakespeare through students playing the play. During The Romeo and Juliet Project every freshman class receives three visits from TSC TA’s. Over the course of three sessions, students develop language to articulate their feelings, gain greater empathy and compassion for one another, and explore potentially life-saving actions in the face of potentially violent conflicts.
The Project also includes a live performance of the play. Students experience hearing, seeing, and feeling the play Romeo and Juliet in its original art form as a piece of live theatre. The production, freshly re-imagined each season, promotes a student’s discovery of the play as relevant and accessible and builds upon their experiences during the residency portion of the Project. The Teaching-Artist’s who lead students through the three-part residency perform the play.
A play about hope and joy in the midst of systemic rage, Shakespeare’s tragedy teaches a culture how to be accountable and take the necessary steps for real change. Simply produced and performed by nine actors, TSC’s urgently-paced production brims with youthful good humor and is immediately accessible. This entree to live Shakespeare sets the stage for a lifetime of theatre attendance.
https://tnshakespeare.org/education/the-romeo-and-juliet-project/