Shawn Day’s Story
Swartland High School Old Boy
Being part of the Shakespeare’s Schools Festival has been the most wonderful experience I had in my entire life. The Shakespeare’s Schools Festival gives you the opportunity to be transported to new worlds that you have never been to before. I had experienced the downfall of my king in Scotland, was slain in the streets of Verona and humiliated in a court in Venice.
Shakespeare’s Schools Festival, to me, means the coming together of the modern youth to celebrate the life of an ancient legend. It means meeting new people who are just as fascinated in the works of Shakespeare as you are. It means carrying over a legacy of literature to a modern day audience in a spectacular way.
Having been part of the festival for three years, I have learnt so many things about the theatre industry and being in it. The festival gives you the opportunity to experience the life of an artist to the fullest extent. You get the opportunity to wear astonishing costumes, use wonderful props and décor, have flashing lights of all colours shining on you and thundering music in your ears.
What’s more, is you get to inspire others and put a smile on their faces. Hearing people congratulate you about your performance at the end of the evening motivates you to keep on going, but you also know that you have accomplished your goal: to put them in awe. You get the opportunity to be transported to other worlds, but also to transport an audience to other worlds.
The atmosphere during the festival is a lively and exciting atmosphere. You get to know new people of your age group, you get to share your talents on a stage, you grow closer to people who you know and you also grow as an individual. You learn to work together in a group, you learn how to visually express yourself, you learn how to have courage and you learn how to have fun!
I would definitely encourage other students who have the opportunity to take part in the Shakespeare’s Schools Festival. You will never have a chance like this in your entire life. If you have the opportunity to take part in the festival, do it! It’s not about competing against other schools or having a certain level of performance skills; it’s about having the courage to express yourself and having fun doing it.
And if there is one final thing that I have learnt from the Shakespeare’s Schools Festival, which I can carry for the rest of my life is that “We are such stuff as dreams are made on.”