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Description:

"O Hero, what a Hero hadst thou been." (Much Ado About Nothing). Meet the most memorable heroes and villains of Shakespeare's world. Learn what drives the good and the bad in well-known characters like Iago from Othello, King Lear, the Macbeths, and of course, Falstaff who appeared in three plays. Students will enjoy this two-hour, virtual, semester-long workshop with Shakespearian coach Heather Sanderson who hails from England and is known for instilling a love of Shakespeare into the hearts of students throughout the Greater DC area.

Students will read different roles, practice scenes and monologues, and work through the literature while having fun with fellow teens. Theatre games will be used to encourage collaboration, and specially designed improv exercises will be used to stretch teens' imaginations and help them get "in character." The class will use read-aloud and in-class dramatization to decipher the original language, word choices, and to identify the elements of supernatural in key monologues of these great works. The class will work from unabridged excerpts (not redacted or simplified school versions) to hear and practice Elizabethan lingo.

Several scenes will be shared with parents on the last day of class as a way for students to demonstrate their appreciation and understanding of what they have learned about Shakespeare. Instructor Heather Sanderson shares a teaching style based on actions and interactions, developed from years of experience coaching Shakespeare in a way that appeals to students. Her approach brings abstract concepts, complex themes, and difficult language to the students' level, so that they can relate to and appreciate Shakespeare.

Topics in this Series: Supernatural Shakespeare (Semester 1), Shakespeare's Heroes and Villains (Semester 2). Students continuing from first semester receive priority pre-registration for second semester.

Format: All class meetings will be in a virtual classroom, providing synchronous online instruction via videoconferencing for the full semester.

Workload: Students should expect to spend 0-1 hour per week outside of class reading and memorizing sections.

Assignments: Sections will be assigned in class and included in the weekly e-mail to parents/students.

Assessments: Will not be given.

Textbook: The cost of the class text is included in the course fee.

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a component (partial) credit in English Literature or Fine Arts for purposes of a high school transcript.