March 24, 2023
By Matheus Meneses, Staff Writer
ROCKLAND- Rockland High School is hosting an in-school field trip on March 31, where sophomores, juniors, and seniors will attend a Shakespeare play in the school auditorium.
Students who attend the play will miss F and G block that day.
English teacher Ms. Kristen Walsh said the school received a grant for $900 from the Rockland Education Foundation to hire a professional theater group, the Boston Theater Company, to perform A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a comedy.
Principal Dr. John Harrison hopes that the play will be able to be an educational experience for the students so that it gives more meaning to what they learn in the classroom.
“I am excited to see the performers and give the students an opportunity to see a live Shakespeare play, so the students understand and try to give more meaning to, what I consider, a very interesting play,” said Dr. Harrison.
English teachers will prepare students by giving them an overview of the play in class before the show. Each year, all grades read a Shakespearean play in their English classes, including Romeo and Juliet, Othello, and Macbeth.
Dr. Harrison continued, I am hoping that preparation will be sufficient enough for them to enjoy the play.”
Adam Stewart, a sophomore that will be attending the field trip, said, “I am excited to learn more about Shakespeare because attending the play will let me find out how much I have really learned from our classes and see how much of my knowledge is relevant in the play.”
The play is made to be fun and entertaining for the students, but one issue the administration is facing is the fact that there is not enough space for all four grades to attend the play, according to Dr. Harrison.
Freshman Victoria Novais said, “I feel disappointed because I really like plays, and I feel like it would be a fun experience and I would have really liked to go, but I understand why we can’t.”
Ms. Walsh hopes that there will be future opportunities to bring drama productions to school and for all students to have the chance to see a live theater performance.