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  1. O, for a Muse of fire!
  2. Suggested activities:
    A quick overview
  3. Activities for ensemble play
  1. Yes!
  2. Group Sculptures
  3. Mirrors
  4. Sculpture Gallery
  5. Presents
  6. Have You Seen My Kitty?
  7. Magic Hat
  8. Hotseat, or, The Press Conference
  1. “I’ll follow you!”: A choral speech
  2. Three Worlds
  3. Two-character exchanges
  4. “Now I am alone”: The soliloquy
  5. Group voice: Sharing a character
  6. Showdown: Oberon vs. Titania
  1. Planning the Project: What do you want your students to achieve?
  2. Planning the Project: Making room for Shakespeare
  3. Planning the Project: The Final Performance
  4. A sample sequence
  5. Laying the foundation, establishing some rituals
  6. Preparing for the journey: A checklist
  7. We shall not cease from exploration

Materials needed:
An open space where everyone can stand; copies of any scene on which you want to work (see suggestions below from Midsummer)

Time needed:
10-20 minutes

Students participating:
everyone at once, teacher too!

This is a fun way of everyone getting a chance with a certain character – all at one time!
  1. Choose a character you want to explore. We often use Nick Bottom in Scene Two for this, because his speeches are short and punchy and fun to say. Hand out copies of the scene to the class (Scene Two).

  2. Quickly set the scene for this moment in the play. If it’s Nick Bottom, talk a bit about the craftsmen, who they are, why they are meeting, and how Bottom is the one among them who loves to perform and wants to play all the parts in their play.

  3. Read through the first half of the scene first, playing Bottom and Quince yourself; go from the beginning to the lines after Bottom’s impromptu “Raging rocks” speech, ending with “A lover is more condoling.”

  4. Discuss the meaning of some of the new words, just enough for the speeches to make sense (don’t get too bogged down in vocabulary).

  5. Now, tell the class, “You are ALL Nick Bottom, all saying his lines at the same time. I’ll play Quince, and read along with you for Bottom and suggest some ways of saying the lines – I’ll be like the conductor.” Take the first two exchanges and exaggerate the emphasis on key words. For example: “You were BEST to call them GENERALLY, MAN by MAN, according to the SCRIPT!” It’s a comical effect, everyone speaking slowly and together. But it’s a great way to get everyone speaking loudly and expressively, following your model. Egg them on if need be.

  6. Try the two exchanges again, varying the rhythm – you don’t want to give the kids the impression there is only one “right” way to say the lines. Conduct the Bottoms energetically to get a loud, punchy sound.

  7. One benefit of this exercise is that you get the shy, hang-back kids speaking loudly because everyone else is too – they can’t hear their voice standing out. They also tend to be more expressive physically for the same reason.

  8. Move on to the next parts of the scene, especially the “Raging rocks” speech. For this one, have everyone stand on a chair and make large, dramatic gestures. Do it four or five times. Ask students if they have ideas for new gestures.

  9. Once you feel you’ve gotten to a good point, stop and ask: Would anyone like to try it solo? You can play Quince for them, or ask for a volunteer for Quince too. See if you can get the volunteers to match the energy and expressiveness they had as part of the group.

  10. For homework, ask everyone to begin working on “Raging rocks” – it can become a group chant/speech you can use for warm-ups, and it’s great way to get everyone to project with volume.