[ot-caption title=”Seniors Noey Boldizsar, Caroline Sachse, and Leo Malhado perform during Shakespeare Out Loud. (via Julia Karten, sophomore)”]

Students came together last Wednesday for the school-wide event Shakespeare Out Loud whether it was taking part as performers, bakers, or simply admirers of William Shakespeare. The week-long event celebrated the works of the famous English playwright leading up to the Pine Crest performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which took place on March 3 and 4.[spacer height=”10px” id=”2″]

The event highlighted the unique talents of Pine Crest students, who performed on the circular stage in the high school courtyard, decorated with fairy lights and ribbons. The events of the day comprised of a variety of monologues, scenes, and poems written by Shakespeare, with the cast of the school play A Midsummer Night’s Dream performing the comedy in fragments scattered throughout the day.[spacer height=”10px” id=”2″]

Other performances involved songs and dances that also reflected Shakespeare’s works. JoAnn Wood, a senior at Pine Crest, performed Titania’s variation from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a two-act ballet based on the play. Other students opted to present variations or parodies of the original works, like Ms. Ortega’s sixth period AP Literature and Language class, which performed a Hamilton-style rap based on a scene from the tragedy Macbeth. Ms. Anderson’s fourth period Seminar in World Literature class performed a slightly customized version of Romeo and Juliet as performed by the Reduced Shakespeare Company, offering a comedic take on the beloved play. Still others decided to express their appreciation of Shakespeare through baking, presenting quirky and original baked goods that made references to either the playwright himself or his works.[spacer height=”10px” id=”2″]

Another tradition of the annual event is the Shake-n-Bake competition. Participants were to bake a cake that fit one of the nine categories. On display in Room US-123 next to the performances, over 40 students baked cakes. Winners received a certificate and a Starbucks gift card. But truly, everyone was a winner because after the the cakes were judged, they were cut into for all students to enjoy.[spacer height=”10px” id=”2″]

Many students took advantage of the opportunity to escape their hectic schoolwork to sit down and watch their fellow classmates perform. Fourth and fifth grade classes also had the chance to visit the high school and get an introduction to the works of Shakespeare.[spacer height=”10px” id=”2″]

Mrs. Ortega, an English teacher at Pine Crest, was in charge of coordinating and planning the event, in addition to directing the school play. She shared her thoughts the following day looking back on Wednesday’s events.[spacer height=”10px” id=”2″]

“I think Shakespeare Out Loud yesterday was a huge success because we were able to have the unique opportunity of celebrating Shakespeare and promoting the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a play that lends itself well for everyone to enjoy by providing comedy, romance, and intrigue. By adding in all the other elements of Shakespeare, like the music and the dancing, it made it a celebration of the canon of William Shakespeare,” Mrs. Ortega said.[spacer height=”10px” id=”2″]

The event itself provided an atmosphere of celebration and festivity during the day, whether you performed in the event yourself or stopped by to support friends. Many seniors, like Caroline Sachse, have been studying Shakespeare’s works throughout the year as well in the new English Seminar class focused on Shakespeare’s works, Page to Film: Shakespeare Reinvented Post-AP.[spacer height=”10px” id=”2″]

“I was involved with both A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Seminar World Literature’s Romeo and Juliet, both of which were fun, high-energy pieces. The event brings so much life and culture to Pine Crest, and it’s amazing to see everyone coming together to celebrate the beloved playwright,” Caroline said.[spacer height=”10px” id=”2″]

All in all, the event offered a unique opportunity for students to display their creativity and express their originality while also paying tribute to one of the most renowned playwrights of all time. Ms. Ortega reflected, “For me, personally, I loved seeing so many of my students on the stage that I’ve seen for four years, either in the classroom and then also on the stage, or starting on the stage, and I just have to believe that some of that inspiration comes from the Bard himself.”[spacer height=”10px” id=”2″]