Nothing Gold Can Stay

NOTHING GOLD CAN STAY
Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
The leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

—Robert Frost

Aloft

It may happen as you bend your tall self to tie a shoe
A Danish castle; a ghost appears

When you idle your BMW, glance to the left
Verona arush with wild boys and flashing swords

Address the Board, catch the eye of a partner
And you're on a Scottish heath abrim with ambition

A breeze brushes your cheek, lifts the lace veil
At a wedding in an Athenian forest

Press your elegant feet into sand and
Let your heart zip you to an island called Ilyria...

That shipwreck

That time, that place when we crashed on shore
Our vessel broken
Our fears afire
And courage rose with outstretched hands
Voices whooped aloud and full of stanzas

One day, when you need it most, it will happen upon you
The time you leapt
Took a breath; took a chance
And skimmed on wings of poetry

When you are old, when you are afraid, when you are alone
Remember this
A castle in Denmark, a heath in Scotland, a dusty Italian street,
a mossy glen...
a beach in Ilyria
Where power, love and revenge reigned
And you were triumphant....


Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Brio: Carina

The number-one characteristic I look for when auditioning kids is enthusiasm.

It's not something we can manufacture or purchase....It just is.


Carina bopped into the audition room on a cloud of ebullient spirit that never wavered for a single meeting. Keeping her seated was a challenge some days...but that's a fair trade for unbridled zest.

Carina's daddy hails from Italy, and I'm guessing this is where she gets her dark-eyed flash.

Carina's mommy is a force of laughing energy, and I'm thinking this is where she gets her zing.


Carina loved being front and center as our wall in "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Equally, she rooted for her fellow players when they received big audience reactions.

Carina used her enthusiasm to gather the group into cohesive optimism even as they were scared out of their wits when facing a crowd.

Carina is a walking pep rally, and we all benefited from her.

CHILDREN'S WRITES: A Journal Entry

Happy Valintines day!

I hope you like my card and to make you LOVE me I got you a Starbucks gift card.

Lots of Love,
Helena

—Carina, 3rd grade

Komedy

Directors often talk too much. The joke among seasoned actors is:

Faster. Slower. Louder. Softer.
In other words, I don't need to know everything you (the director) know, or think, or researched. Just give it to me straight and simple.

I think a director's job is to create a world, a framework, where characters live fully and pursue fully.

Then I think the director's job is to encourage.

I'm proud to say this is all I did with these kids in "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

I did not tell them what to do. We discussed what the characters wanted, what surprised them, and about going one-hundred percent to serve the audience.

Watch the scene above and see what you think.


CHILDREN'S WRITES: A Journal Entry

Adventure

I want to have a adventure because I want to travel to many places counting the universe. I never traveled somewhere far with a boat. When I read I like to go into the book and imagine what's happening. I want to also go in a submarine because its cool and also to go underwater travaling and I was to see sharks and whales alsort of living animals under water. I also want to see how I would breathe under water without an oxigen tank.

—Natalie, 5th grade

A River in Egypt

Yeah, I know. Denial...a bad thing, right?

Well, not so fast. I agree being blind isn't so helpful, but every now and then, a dose of denial can get us through.

When you're coughing and sneezing but have to go to work...denial can get you through the day.

When the whole world thinks you're a useless loser...denial (and cheesy TV) can cheer you up.

And, say, when you've broken your leg three weeks before you have to go onstage to dance and act....

Check out Audrey (above) in the front row as the Shakespeare Club starts "A Midsummer Night's Dream" with a Bollywood dance.

This is denial — cast and all — at its best.

CHILDREN'S WRITES: A Journal Entry

OBEY

One day after school my coach was in side and I was out side and coach saw me out side and coach had snack and she said Laci come in side and I said can I have snack and she said no but you can wash the brushes and the cubs and the sinke and she said when your done clen the floor but I must obey. And my mom finely came.

—Laci, 4th grade

An Interview: Rebecca and Audrey

rebecca: I'm Rebecca, I'm in third grade and I played Cobweb and Hippolyta.

audrey: I'm Audrey, I'm in third grade and I played Robin Starveling.

mel: Now, what is it about acting that appeals to you, Rebecca?

R: Well, it's...I can sort of just express myself, it's a thing that I really like doing and I really like to express myself and show people how I feel.

What do you think acting is, Audrey?

A: I think it's just giving your character and showing the audience what you can do and how you do it...and how you play the character and act as though the character was actually you. And that's what I think acting is.

So, we had a mishap on spring break, when Audrey broke her leg. I noticed that Rebecca super-helped Audrey, which is one of our mottos: to help each other. So Audrey, how did you keep going, like doing the dance, even though you had a sore foot...and were tired. What did you tell yourself to keep going?

A: Well, I told myself that I really wanted to impress my family...especially for the last show. That's the one where I was the most tired but that was the one where I think I did the best. Because I really wanted to impress my family. I didn't want to sit out of things while my family was watching..,.I just didn't want people to think I couldn't do it because I was too tired.

And Rebecca, all through rehearsals you helped Audrey. What made you want to carry her lunch bag and cheerlead her?

R: Well, she's my friend so it made me feel good to actually help her. And because I wanted her to be in the show and when she's carrying things it's hard for her to walk...and I wanted her to be able to keep going on.

Audrey, what do you want to be when you grow up?

A: I don't know. Either an artist or an illustrator for books and things.


Any ideas for you, Rebecca?

R: I want to be an actor.

Some people think little kids can't do Shakespeare. What do you think?

R: Well, in the beginning, it's hard to understand what they're trying to say but when you hear it a lot, you start to understand that like 'thy' means me...like stuff like that...you just start to understand what they're saying.

A: I agree with Rebecca that, like, it's hard at the beginning because you don't really understand Elizabethan speech, and then you get to know and then it gets easier to say things. And sooner or later you start to understand most Elizabethan speech.

Do either of you have any tips to make Shakespeare Club better?

[both give this a think]

R: Well, I just have a comment really fast.

Sure...take your time.

R: It's hard for me to stay still while I'm meditating. I have itches everywhere and I try to think about "be quiet," but I can't stay still....I start getting itchy and stuff.

A: It's hard for me too. I want to move my legs and things.

Okay, let me give you the upshot: meditating is hard for everybody...for adults...for everybody....It just takes practice.

What did you like best about performance day?

A: Well, I liked that we had forty-five minutes or an hour between performances because it gave us time to rest and get our energy back...because it kind of fuels us up and makes us a little bit better.

R: I liked...that we got food was one thing....That I really liked...'cause I was really hungry but...after the food it was hard for me to do the show because we all ate too much...just at the beginning. I like that we have journals because it's a way to express ourselves and that not everybody shares but some do.

A: I like that we don't have to share if we don't want to.

Did you have the best sleep the night after performance day?

A: For some reason I woke up really early.

R: Me too...but, oh, me, Peter and Audrey were all so achy from the dance.

A: I wore my Shakespeare shirt the next day and people knew I was in Shakespeare Club.

What a Difference a Year Makes

Last year, after our final performance of "Macbeth," I turned into a big whiner because I was alone with no one to celebrate with after months of hard work. I went home to a bath and was in bed before sunset.

Last year, my husband was working far across the country...Rachel was busy with visiting family...I had misplaced any friends I used to have. You can hear the whining as you read this.

This year, our performances happened to fall on my birthday — so I whined even more, in advance, to anyone within range. I made threats like "no Christmas gifts at all" and guess what? It worked.

My husband put his work on hold and flew home days before the performances to help out and, more importantly, to bear witness.

Mel and her brother.
My brother, a firefighter in Vancouver, flew down on Performance Day in time to see both the 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. shows.

My good friend arranged a flight home from New York City and arrived at our school for the 6 p.m. performance.

Parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles stayed after the final show to help clean up.

My little support group feted me at a hole-in-the-wall Mexican joint with margaritas and fish tacos.

The four shows were a huge success, the kids were empowered, and here's the take-away:

Even though rule number four of Shakespeare Club is never whine....

In judicious teaspoonfuls, whining works.

And I had a happy birthday indeed.


CHILDREN'S WRITES: A Journal Entry

I love the play it seemed so net. I learned that Henry dated six women. The first one was divorced. The resen why he dated the women because of a baby boy. I learnd the poems of shackspear. Thank you Ms. ryane and Ms. Rachel.

P.S. Buy Ms. Ryen hoep you have a grate life.

—Laci, 4th grade

Who Wants Their Own Shakespeare Club?

It has long been my wish to see Shakespeare Clubs spring up across the nation, the continent, and the world.

Am I dreaming too big? You tell me.

Here's what it takes to start and run a SHAKESPEARE CLUB:

• will
  
• effort

And here's what it does not take:

• theatrical know-how
  
• Shakespearean expertise

Over my six years of running The Shakespeare Club in Los Angeles, I can tell you it's worth the elbow grease.

Adults in our school communities are wrestling with issues of schoolyard bullying, lethargic kids, reading skills and self-esteem.

Give 'em Shakespeare and shake 'em up!

Start small. Together you can discover stories, characters, and the Elizabethan world. You don't have to be an expert.

Because I can help you. Here's how:

Start Your Own Shakespeare Club


CHILDREN'S WRITES: A Journal Entry

Dear Tattania,

I love you + hope you love me back.

Your eyes are as beautiful as thee + your eyes will never tell me lies + the curls in your hair look like curly fries.

I send all my love,

Love,
Nick Bottom

—Ellie, 5th grade

I, Too, Am Amazed and Know Not What to Say

By performance number three, a couple of things were happening:

• exhaustion
  
• exhiliration
  

Above is a clip of the lovers' quartet in "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

CHILDREN'S WRITES: A Journal Entry

If I were William Shakespeare I would send a Valentine to Anne Hathaway. I would say:

Dear Anne,

You have the most beuatiful eyes. Your lips are as red as the redist rose in Straptered upon Avon. Your voice is sweeter that the blue birds in the forest.

—Dominick, 5th grade

Role Reversals

ROMEOBut, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.

Romeo and Juliet Act II, Scene II

Worldwide there are all-female Shakespeare companies, for obvious reasons.

Be it the Bard or David Mamet, there simply are not enough roles for actors of the distaff variety. According to a study carried out by USC's Annenberg School for Communication, male roles in movies outnumber female roles three to one.


So, if women want to tackle Richard III, humpback and all, or Julius Caesar, stabbed to bits and all...I say go for it, because apparently in the 447 years since Shakespeare's birth, not enough has changed when it comes to the amount of female characters.

The Bushwick Shakespeare Repertory

Just ask our cat, a girl who has a crush on the boy next door and decided to try a classical approach by taking on the role of Romeo.:


CHILDREN'S WRITES: A Journal Entry

I want to be in Shakespeare Club because I want to be a good actor. My goal is to know more facts about Shakespear. I learned some parts of a dance. India makes more movies than L.A. He dies when he was 52. I would be angry if I had to stay in the house. If I was a groundling I would be respectful because they were nice to let us in. They could make it harder to get in so they are lucky to see some plays.

—Natalie, 5th grade

Figuring It Out

As a young actor, I had the good fortune to be directed by Delbert Mann in a television movie. Because of timing constraints, my part didn't make the final cut but Mann, ever the gentleman, wrote me a lovely note with assurances that it had naught to do with the quality of my work.

Before he died in 2007, Delbert Mann directed more than one hundred television dramas and feature films. The latter included "Marty" and "Desire Under the Elms." Suffice to say, Delbert Mann knew his craft. But that's not what stuck with me.

I'd started my professional acting career at the age of nineteen, so by the time I arrived on Mann's set, I'd already heard enough screaming voices to know that sort of angst did not help the creative process.

On Delbert Mann's set, crew members efficiently completed tasks, actors huddled in corners poring over scripts, and the director flowed through everything with the calm of a lazy river.

I'd never seen anything like it. Not in the theatre and certainly not on a film set, where time is money and more money and people are usually in a state of squirrelly panic.

But here was the kicker: when approached with a question, Mann would take a second to ponder and then either give a short, clear answer...or say, "I don't know....Let's figure that out."

"I don't know. Let's figure that out"?

Good God, what was he thinking? How could he have let his guard down like that? What would happen if our leader didn't have the answer?

Here's what happened: they figured it out, the actors acted, the cinematographer got the shots, the designers made their set adjustments, and the movie got made on time and on budget.

Delbert Mann's answer was a life lesson for me. I'd never heard a parent, teacher, coach, producer or director ever say I don't know. Let's figure that out.

Delbert Mann both defined and inspired confidence.

Imagine when a child asks us why?, how?, where?, when? and why?...why?...why...?

We answer: I don't know. Let's figure that out.

CHILDREN'S WRITES: A Journal Entry

Dear Lysander,

My love, we go to forist tonight and get married, right? What if someone finds out? I'm very excited what thea do! Marry Valintines day!

Love,
Hermia

P.S. I love you

—Rebecca, 3rd grade

Why Do I Do This?

I had more help this year than any previous year of The Shakespeare Club.

Parents arrived with food and snacks. A mom set up our Shakespeare Club museum, an array of photo collages from years past. Another mom organized the T-shirts. Another three or four fought our on-site charter school, which suddenly decided to stage a concert the night before our performances, which would have undone our lighting and sound preparations.

I was exceedingly grateful for the assistance and cognizant that the outpour was the direct result of my screaming my head off that if this school community wanted this program to continue, they had to stop taking it for granted and start protecting it.

I was musing on all the advancements, all the sturm und drang, all of the six years that had passed since I came up with this crazy idea of little kids exploring the works of the Bard.

I pushed a broom across the stage, thinking about this stuff and wondering: Why did I ever do this? Why do I continue doing this?

The auditorium was near empty and oddly quiet after so much hustle and bustle. The next day, twenty-four kids would perform and crew "A Midsummer Night's Dream" four times. The next day, hundreds of kids would get turned on to Shakespeare by seeing their fellow students act hilarious under shiny lights.


Okay, here it is: my top three reasons for volunteering countless hours to steer kids into an Elizabethan bliss:

3. My wish as a child was to be heard...and so, these kids are heard.

2. My wish as a child was to have power...and so, these kids are empowered.

1. I'm vain, and doing this makes me believe I'm young.

So, if you're considering volunteering your time to work with kids in any capacity — to read one-on-one, to build a birdhouse, to play a game of catch, to do anything — pay attention to my number-one reason....It works and it's true, because the work is a font of new cells.


CHILDREN'S WRITES: A Journal Entry

If I was Lysander I would pack my weapons a sword, a shield and a spear. I would also pack something to drink just in case I get thirsty. I would use the animals as food, I would especially kill lions for there hair and make it as a coat. I would make my house out of love apples and make my bed out of wood. The left over wood I would use to make a garage.

—Mark, 5th grade

Hard News: Drink from This Fountain

Aging. There ain't nothin' we can do about it. The clock will keep ticking with or without our approval.

Over and over I read of vital people who credit service as their fountain of vigor.

Check out Hedda Bolgar and be inspired. I surely was.

At 102, therapist is too busy to stop working (Steve Lopez, LA Times)

We Are Newsworthy

As we labored through our technical day, we were visited by a reporter from Patch.com, a local online news source.

I sent a few kids off to be interviewed and then the Patch crew videotaped some rehearsal.

Here you go: Walgrove Students Bond Over the Bard

Feeling It

The girl was seven. She entered the kitchen where her mother ironed her dad's shirts. The girl laid her head on the ironing table and wept. Her skinny elbows pointed out sideways and her tears soaked the tops of her small hands.

Her mother set the iron aside and stared at her daughter. What the hell?

The girl could not speak. She was overwrought and words could not form or find their way out of her mouth. She gulped and the tears flooded anew.

The girl had just watched "The Wizard of Oz" and was moved by the story of another girl finding her way home.

This girl was me. To be so touched by a movie, or a play, or a piece of music, was a first for me. And it was entirely pleasurable.

I fear that parents, teachers and coaches are apprehensive about a child feeling anything other than giddy joy. It's okay to be moved. It's a good thing. It's a sign of empathy.

Adults enjoy experiencing a sad story or a scary story. Adults find satisfaction in nostalgia, a perfect sunset or an orphaned dog finding family.

Why can't children have that? Why do we worry when there is gratification in identification?

Many of the children of The Shakespeare Club cried when the year was done, when the show ended and the meetings stopped.

All I could say to their parents was this:

These kids aren't crying because something awful happened to them. They are weeping because they had the best time of their lives.

That's worth a couple of good sniffles.

CHILDREN'S WRITES: A Journal Entry

This is what I loved about Shakespere. I loved everything about it and it was very fun and everybody was very nice. I licked everything about the play and it was very intrest to learn about Shakespeare and I liked meating new people in shakespeare. I really loved how Ms. Ryan helped me and I sad that Miss ryan will have to leav. I give thanks to everybody exept Nick Botem.

—Peter, 3rd grade

Hop on Pop

"Hey, has anyone seen Calvin?"

Nope.

No, Ms. Ryane.

I think he's outside, Ms. Ryane!

And he was. Wandering the quad alone.

"Hi, Calvin."

Hi.

This was a forlorn "hi" from a sad-looking kid.

"What'cha doin' out here, Calvin?"

Scuff, scuff. Rub the top of the head. Look this way and that.

I guess lookin' for my dad.

Calvin is in fifth grade and in his final year of Shakespeare Club. In third grade, he was a sailor in "Twelfth Night." For the following two years, he took on the role of lighting operator. He was so adept last year on "Macbeth" that we doubled up his cues for this year's show.

He wanted someone — a certain someone — to see him run that lighting board.

Calvin struggles academically. There was some talk of possibly holding him back from middle school for a year...but the boy can operate lights.

Calvin is in pain on the home front. Dad.

I guess lookin' for my dad.


Oliver is playing Demetrius. Oliver had a phone conversation with his dad before the morning show. He was looking for some encouragement from the man. The man in his life who lives in another house and would not be showing up to see Oliver's Demetrius.

There is nothing, absolutely nothing, I or anyone else can do or say to make up for these AWOL fathers.

"Come inside, Calvin, you have a show to run. The actors need your lights. Maybe your dad'll show up."

Yeah.

Shuffle. Head down. Hoodie up.

"I know, Calvin. I know how great your work is and I will never forget how you operated that lighting board."

Calvin takes his place at the back of the auditorium with the rest of the crew. The audience is excited and loud. I step onstage to engage with each actor for a last-minute pep talk.

"Oliver, have a blast. Oliver...Oliver, look at me. What is it?"

He scans the house.

Nothin' I guess.

"Oliver, other kids are going to want to act and other people will go to the theatre again because of your work....You are that good. Believe me?"

Yeah.

I guess lookin' for my dad.

CHILDREN'S WRITES: A Journal Entry

Dear my true love,

I miss you dearly. I can't wait to see you. You make my day every time I talk, and see you. I couldn't find a guy like you. I hope one day we get married. When you talk it is soft and gently.

P.S. Your sunshine girl

—Natalie, 5th grade