Yesterday, we took a good portion of the high school to see A Midsummer Night's Dream at PlayMakers in Chapel Hill. I remember this play from childhood and how confusing it was to me at the time with it's meandering motifs of dreams, magic, and the subconscious mind. Layering these themes with the Shakespearean dialogue made it a challenge to comprehend as a teen. Yesterday, I truly appreciated the artistry, brought to life so expertly by the cast, and allowed myself to drift into Shakespeare's other-worldly dreamscape.
Pairing the visual impact of the live play with the written text had significant impact. It reminded me of some other ways student and teachers are bringing our curriculum to life at Woods. Our all-new Theatre Arts troupe recently performed their first one-act play, Paper or Plastic, for a student audience. Our Seniors in AP Lit are exploring the traditional text of Macbeth, along with a new graphic edition. One of our 9th grade students, Emily, recently re-imagined The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian as an impressive anime storyboard using her original artwork.
Pairing the visual impact of the live play with the written text had significant impact. It reminded me of some other ways student and teachers are bringing our curriculum to life at Woods. Our all-new Theatre Arts troupe recently performed their first one-act play, Paper or Plastic, for a student audience. Our Seniors in AP Lit are exploring the traditional text of Macbeth, along with a new graphic edition. One of our 9th grade students, Emily, recently re-imagined The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian as an impressive anime storyboard using her original artwork.
None of these things would have happened without some dreaming. Taking time to allow our imagination to take flight in whichever direction it leads, and allowing our subconscious to explore freely. Some of the world's greatest accomplishments stem from this kind of thinking - the "what if?", the out-of-the-box solution, the invention that takes us in an unexpected direction. In a school, we need to support dreams, ideas, creative thinking, and help guide and steer them in productive ways.
However you spend time over Thanksgiving break, I hope that you take some time away from the to-do list of assignments and homework to dwell a while in your imagination. Not all creative ideas come to fruition, but bring the best ones back to Woods and let's see if some of them stick. The reason Woods exists is because someone had a crazy idea once, and now....here we are!
However you spend time over Thanksgiving break, I hope that you take some time away from the to-do list of assignments and homework to dwell a while in your imagination. Not all creative ideas come to fruition, but bring the best ones back to Woods and let's see if some of them stick. The reason Woods exists is because someone had a crazy idea once, and now....here we are!