A Homeschooling Thespian

In an article from the London Times today Richard Owen exposes a piece of parchment found in the guest book of The Venerable English College in Rome, suggesting that is it proof that the Bard sought refuge there along with many other hidden English Catholics during the Reformation.  The entries fall between Shakespeare's "missing years" of 1585, when he abruptedly left Stratford, and 1592, when he began his career as a playwright in London. According to Father Andrew Headon, vice-rector of the college and organiser of the exhibition, the names can be deciphered as “[King] Arthur’s [compatriot] from Stratford [in the diocese] of Worcester” and “William the Clerk from Stratford "There are several years which are unaccounted for in Shakespeare's life," Father Headon explains. He adds that it was very likely that Shakespeare had made a pilgrimage to Rome and was a covert Catholic. The article's best quote comes from Hildegard Hammerschmidt-Hummel, a ...

I just found a couple of great resources for Shakespeare online. One, called appropriately enough Shakespeare Online , is where you will find his complete works ready to print off, as well as his poems, sonnets, complete play and character analyses, play synopses, even essay questions to be assigned to your student! What a find! The other is the online version of a favorite book of mine, the complete version of Tales From Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb . I've used this resource for many years to serve as an introduction to the study of a specific play, as it's the same story told in prose. I find it to be a delightful way to introduce the Bard to younger children. A similar classic by E. Nesbit, Beautiful Stories From Shakespeare , is also available online. These would be great resources to have for any homeschool or drama group..... only this time, they're free! Don't you just love the internet? ;)

I'm starting to hear back from some of you, which is absolutely wonderful! I want to encourage everyone as much as I can. During my first month blogging I think I've made my point thus far as to the importance of why we should integrate the arts into our curriculums; the remaining question is how? How do I start? Where do I begin? It's a little different trying to adapt the same creative dramatics/theatre arts lesson plans that I use in a classroom to fit our children in our home. With music appreciation it seems much easier, and I plan to continue with the "composer of the week" ideas (although it might end up being every other week! ). If you can only add one arts-related course this year, I would recommend adding music appreciation , based on the research done on the " Mozart effect ." If possible, add in some group or private music instruction as well. Art instruction, the basics of drawing, and art history don't have to be difficult to add, ...

I am so impressed by our homeschool group's production of Twelfth Night today! Despite the heat and an incredible three hour running length, they put on a fantastic show! It took a few months of rehearsals, I believe, to achieve. The actors had their lines down pat and created believable characters. There were many fine moments in the play, such as between Orsino and Viola, where authentic emotions were happening, and the rollicking humor found between Sir Andrew Aguecheek, Sir Toby Belch and others had me laughing out loud. Feste was a special delight, a Puck-ish sprite singing and dancing her way across the stage. Bravo to the director, the wardrobe mistresses, the set designer and the actors! Who said that young people don't understand Shakespeare, or that they need thousands of dollars for a theater program? Twelfth Night is a perfect example of how arts education can be added into our homeschools with a little organization and a lot of creativity. And quite a bit of hard...