Blog
2nd February 2020
Shakespeare Slam - The Battle of the Bard is back with a bang!
As the title suggests, we are back and we will be coming to your city soon with more exciting performances, young talents and a lot of entertainment. Shakespeare Slam 2019 gave us an exhilarating feeling of reliving the famous Shakespeare plays through the fantastic performances from the young school students.
The Shakespeare Slam is an ensemble programme among different school teams across the entire city. Our aim is to make the works of William Shakespeare accessible to all through exhilarating performances from these young creative minds. This light-hearted competition will also improve the standards of performance each year through constructive feedback from the eminent judges.
Schools across India will be participating in this competition. Each school prepares a 40-minute abridged version of a Shakespeare play, using the original text. This abridged text will be provided by Helen O’ Grady International. The school can choose one script out of the list offered by Helen O’ Grady International. Together, students have the opportunity to dive deep into a shared text and do so through an infinite number of lenses crafted out of the students’ own imaginations!
The students themselves are tasked with directing the play and conducting rehearsals in addition to acting in the play. The entire show is put up and executed by these young minds. Yes, you read it correctly. The students not only perform on stage but also get to showcase their directorial roles in the play. To help them in this journey; Helen O’Grady International India organized a Student Director Workshop a few weeks prior to the competition to bring together the student directors from each participating school. Here they get to come together, learn and experience various creative elements that they can inculcate in their plays. Here’s a short glimpse from our Mumbai Student Director Workshop with CEO, Ms. Arpita Mittal, and our senior-most trainer Nutan Raj Ma’am. They guided them on the rules of the festival; drama and Shakespeare specifics, vocal enhancements, how to use various emotions while delivering the lines, effective stage presence and much more.
Our enigmatic CEO Ms Arpita Mittal quoted, “The audience will see the sheer hard work and effort these students have put in the plays and also the passion these young minds have for theatre and drama.”
This year the plays lined up are Macbeth, Hamlet, and Julius Caesar. The competition will be judged by eminent judges with theatrical experience and the students will be judged based on a multitude of factors. The best play of the bunch will bag the ultimate prize!
So, get ready, our first city is none other than AAMCHI MUMBAI! Bringing you the Shakesperience on 4th February at St. Andrew’s Auditorium starting from 9 AM. So, come and discover the Shakespearience with us.
Call +91 93213 33323 or visit www.helenogrady.co.in to know more about us!
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