On Tuesday, May 25th Montrosians of all grades will be coming together to share in a day of appreciation for Shakespeare. Over his lifetime, the English bard wrote 37 plays and 154 sonnets which continue to be read in classrooms and presented in theaters around the world. This April marked his 400th birthday-an event not to be missed by Shakespeare lovers worldwide!

Since the Montrose tradition is for the English classes to read Shakespeare in May, this year the school will be celebrating his literary legacy, and the English Department plans to make this an annual event. Each grade will be presenting scenes, soliloquies or sonnets in an M & M, which will be filled with the sounds of Renaissance music and decorated by Renaissance style artwork made by the art classes. The artwork features Elizabethan portraits complete with the huge collars and ornate costumes, but with the face of the artist who drew them, to add an interesting modern twist.

English Department Coordinator Mrs. Whitlock explained that “students are practicing scenes with classmates or memorizing soliloquies or sonnets for this event. A subset of students will be selected to perform on May 25th. Students can join the audience during study halls or other periods where teachers want to bring their classes.”

Wanting to learn more about the performing aspect of the event, I talked to two students in Mrs. Hills’ sophomore English class (who are presenting Macbeth) about their thoughts on Shakespeare. Bridget Baker ‘18 said: “I like Shakespeare. I think the meaning behind his plays is timeless because they can be interpreted from many different views from many different points throughout history.” Since memorizing lines for a play does not happen overnight, I asked aspiring thespian Olivia Hastie ‘18 about how she was preparing for the presentation. “The lines are hard to learn because they are so different from how we speak, so the best way to prepare is to understand the story behind the scene and understand the way the lines are being said.” Come see Bridge and Oliva as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.

The schedule for May 25th in the M & M:

8:00-8:50 8th grade Romeo & Juliet (dance, choral performance & tableaux vivant)

                   + 10th grade Macbeth

8:50-9:40 8th grade Romeo & Juliet (dance, choral performance & tableaux vivant)

                    + 10th grade Macbeth

10:25-11:15 9th grade Merchant of Venice

12:05-12:55 11th grade Hamlet

12:35-1:55 7th grade Much Ado About Nothing

1:25-2:10 6th Midsummer Night’s Dream + 9th Merchant of Venice