A Night of Shakespeare
Students and faculty enjoy a live performance of Twelfth Night on Boston Common.
Montrose students and faculty met on Boston Common last week to enjoy a performance of Twelfth Night, this summer’s Shakespeare on the Common presentation by the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company.
Rising 8th grade students who read and studied Twelfth Night in 7th grade Literature class joined their teacher, Ms. Becky Nielson, on Boston Common. “Seeing the play in the way it was originally intended, as a performance, allowed the girls to fully experience and appreciate the story,” said Ms. Nielson.
The girls were delighted with the performance, laughing throughout the classic comedy of love in disguise. “They loved watching their favorite characters on the stage. We discussed the interpretations in this staging, with bright, multicolored sets and costumes from the psychedelic 1960s, and how they differed from our reading and from the 1996 movie Twelfth Night,” said Ms. Nielson.
“I really enjoyed seeing the play live,” said Julia Phillips ’19. She noted that after reading the play in class, she could easily follow the plot, and remembered specific scenes from class. “I even found myself saying lines with the actors!” Abby McAvoy ’19 agreed, saying that she was excited to see how the actors could bring her favorite characters to life on the stage.
“When the girls are part of an audience, they find that Twelfth Night transcends its current role as required reading,” said Ms. Nielson. “For a few hours, they can be a vital part of Shakespeare's creation.”
An independent school for girls in grades 6-12
Inspired by the teachings of the Catholic Church
Inspired by the teachings of the Catholic Church
