Professional actors from Theatre Prospero performed the Shakespearian classic Macbeth together with students from Racette School last Friday afternoon. Although the group has visited the school four times in the last seven years, this may be its last performance in St. Paul, due to a 100 per cent cut in the grant from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.
“We don’t have a drama program at the school and this gives (the students) an opportunity to experience the performing arts,” explained Corinne Pashko, a teacher from Racette who organizes the event.
Elizabeth Hobbs, director/actor for the play, and April Killins, who plays Lady Macbeth and a selection of other roles, both felt the play is an important educational tool.
“I love teaching … but I don’t want to actually be a teacher. I want to do theatre and teach what … I love.” explained Hobbs. “The younger generation, especially those in the rural areas that don’t get a lot of arts exposure, are getting exposed to the arts and getting exposed to Shakespeare and learning that they can do something.”
Killins added that Shakespeare wrote plays and plays are meant to be watched and performed and not read like a book.
“Shakespeare is so awful when you read it in class with an English teacher,” said Killins. “Even as an adult, you can’t sit down and read a Shakespeare play and really understand it because it is meant to be seen rather than read.”
Theatre Prospero performs plays that are part of the high school curriculum to enhance learning. However, Hobbs explained the group works with a variety of ages, including students from elementary school.
“The younger kids, even in grades one and two, understand the stories. Sometimes, they get it even better because they haven’t learned that they are not supposed to understand Shakespeare yet. If you can perform for them at age six and they get it and they love Shakespeare and they love sword fights and fairies and magic … by the time, they get to a class where they have to learn it, they will hopefully walk in, knowing that they can understand it.”
Three Grade 9 students from Racette, including Nicole Kitt, Shaina Gill and Brooklyn Gogowich, agree that performing on stage helps them to have a better understanding of the plays. Shaina and Brooklyn were also part of the Theatre Prospero performance Romeo and Juliet two years ago. They all played apparitions and other parts onstage with professional actors from Edmonton.
“We are getting a chance to learn about what it is like to be on stage as an actor, as a career,” said Shaina. “We are also learning about the plays.”
However, they all agreed their real reason for getting involved is simply because “it’s fun.”
After the show, the members of Theatre Prospero asked the audience to write their MLA and Lindsay Blackett, minister of culture and community spirit, to restore the artists and education grant.
