Project Title: Educational Travel and Shakespeare Plays in London and Stratford-upon-Avon
Project Author: Linda A. Austin (Glendale)
Abstract: Write a concise summary with descriptive information about your project, location, time span, your relationship to it, etc. Include specific information-- since you have completed your project, your knowledge is valuable and can be shared with your colleagues.
My Summer Project consisted of two parts: the first part included attending the Shakespeare play Titus Andronicus at Shakespeare’s Globe Theater in London, and the second part included attending the play Romeo and Juliet at the Royal Shakespeare Theater in Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of the playwright. During the week I spent in England, I was able to visit historical locations relating to the life and culture of Shakespeare. In London I visited the original location of the Rose Theater which existed at the same time as the first Globe Theater, and the Tower of London, the famous prison in English history.
Of course, the most informative location was the Shakespeare Globe Theater, which is built exactly as the original theater (e.g., no metal nails). In Stratford, I visited Shakespeare’s birth house and burial ground.
Outcomes: In a paragraph or two describe what worked well. Did you accomplish your objective(s)? Were you able to complete your summer project as written? If not, what did you modify and why? What did not go as well as expected, if anything? Were there any surprises? Note: Use the questions as guides for your outcomes. Do not include detailed list of workshops attended, speakers who presented, or a list of items you have seen, heard, or read.
Everything worked well during my Summer Project except for the British weather. This was a special year for Shakespeare plays because it was the first time that every one of his plays will be produced within one year. As a teacher of these plays, I wanted to participate in this unique experience.
I attended the play Titus Andronicus at the Globe Theater and was delighted with the production. This is one of the plays in the collection of “The Edges of Rome” and is rarely seen in any festival of plays because of its violent content. The actors included the audience in the play by dancing, moving around in the theater, and pulling a wooden cart through the doors up to the stage. This was very engaging to everyone at the play. I was also able to see the play Romeo and Juliet at the Royal Shakespeare Theater in Stratford. This was another successful part of my Summer Project. It was also, however, a surprise to me that the production was not the traditional version but a modernistic presentation. For example, instead of Romeo’s climbing UP to Juliet’s balcony, he had to climb DOWN, similar to going into a sewer. This was very different than the play I have taught for many years. Nonetheless, it was an interesting experience.
Professional Growth: Your own professional growth is a large part of your project. Your professional growth is important to you, your students, your college, and possibly other colleagues. How did project affect you professionally? What skills did you learn? What environments were you working in and how might your summer project influence your teaching or other responsibilities? Did you gain a different perspective? Was it professionally valuable for you?
I have made professional growth by having seen the play at the Globe Theater. This theater is an integral part of the Shakespeare experience. I had never been to a play at the Globe before, but now I can explain to my students how the theater is constructed and how it feels to be part of the audience at a production in this theater. This is the closest I will get to the ambience of Shakespeare’s time. Also, I had never seen the play Titus Andronicus before, not even on DVD. I have taught a course about Shakespeare plays for many years, but I had never included this play because of the violent content. However, the production that I attended was only “symbolically” violent, so I now know how to explain the symbolism of the violence to my students. Because of this professional growth, I intend to include this play the next time I teach the class.
The modern version of Romeo and Juliet which I attended in Stratford was also important toward my professional growth. I was used to teaching the traditional form of this play, but by seeing a different interpretation, I can see how this play can be considered timeless. This will be especially helpful for my young students who have trouble relating to “old” literature. I will work on a way to bring a similar modern version of the plays into the classroom.
Dissemination: How will you share this information with your colleagues, department, students, or college?
I will share most of the information with my students during the semesters I teach the Shakespeare plays. I will include Titus Andronicus for the first time, and I will add modernized aspects to the plays. To share my Summer Project with my colleagues, I will offer a “Chill and Chat” session (an on-going lunchtime event during which all GCC faculty share ideas). Specifically, I will share my information in more detail with a new English department faculty member who is very interested in learning more about Shakespeare plays. She will, in turn, pass the information on to her students.
For more information about this project, check out the "package" in the Maricopa Learning eXchange:
http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/mlx/slip.php?item=01887