Travel in time to the Elizabethan era in this 6-week live class, where we will learn about William Shakespeare and the time period in which he lived. This theater appreciation class will not only include an introduction to live theater as we discuss Shakespearean plays and sonnets, but also historical facts about the people who lived in 16th century Europe. In-class discussions and projects will include fine arts, writing, dancing, bookbinding, monologues, Elizabethan games, costuming, recipes and more. Feel free to attend in costume; all the world's a stage, after all!

Our weekly schedule is as follows:

Week 1: Prepare for the Plague! Students will participate in an interactive lesson on the Middle Ages and The Black Death. Our lesson will be on the Black Death and the Great Plague of 1666, which will include interactive games and activities via Nearpod. 

Week 2: The Gentry Class: Design a Coat of Arms. The lesson will be a short presentation on heraldry and designing a coat of arms. Students will use a printable template to design their own coat of arms and crest.

Week 3: Tudor Dining. The class will make a traditional English trifle, which requires no cooking or extensive preparation. Ingredients may vary depending on your region and available supplies, but the important thing is to make something delicious to eat in class! Our lesson is a short presentation on Elizabethan feasting and banqueting.

Week 4: Elizabethan Garb and Masque. Make and decorate a mask to wear to the masquerade ball! During this class we will discuss 16th century fashion, commedia dell'arte (improvisational comedy with and without masks), and other DIY costume ideas for attending a faire or masquerade.

Week 5: Bookbinding and Lettering. Learning to read a script and act out a small role from a selected abridged Shakespeare scene (play will be chosen based on class size and will be announced in advance). In preparation for this, our Week 5 craft will be to bind our own simple journals, which will then be used to copy each learner's script (this may be completed offline, after class). A short introduction to calligraphy will also be included. Learners will practice their lines together and independently in preparation for a "live performance" during our final class. I like to emphasize that this is a very simple, informal play about 5-10 minutes long. Students will only have a few lines to learn and can have their script in hand during the performance if they choose. 

Week 6: The Play's the Thing! Here we will have our final performance for learners who have been assigned a role. Students who prefer not to be assigned a role are welcome to join as "groundlings" (aka: the audience), cheering on their favorite characters and booing the villains! All learners will be offered some additional worksheets with more games and ideas, library resources and some free printable crafts. A private recording of their performance will be shared in the Outschool classroom and the students will all receive a printable participation certificate.

It is my hope that you will join me in this exciting and educational series. It is a great way to learn history, encourage theater arts and exercise numerous life skills. I am more than happy to answer any questions you might have regarding supplies or content, and can accommodate special needs with advance notice. Otherwise, please plan on participating with your webcams and headsets on at all times, and in a quiet setting without background noises or distractions. This will ensure that your learner can participate fully and interact with their fellow cast members!

I hope to meet your learner sometime soon. Huzzah!!