THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 23, 1995 TAG: 9502210092
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 12 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JOAN C. STANUS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
Nine-year-old Tyler Bunch wasn't too taken with the idea of staying after school each Tuesday to dress up in Elizabethan garb and spout lines from Shakespeare.
But his mother insisted he give it a try, and now this fourth-grader at the Ghent Montessori School is glad she did.
``It's turned out to be fun,'' the youngster said with an amazed expression. ``And it's not that hard to understand.''
Added his friend, 10-year-old Blair Credle: ``I like getting up on stage and putting on neat costumes. My favorite is when I have a funny speech and talk in an Irish accent.''
Tonight, when the students at the school present their interpretation of Shakespeare's classic play ``Twelfth Night,'' Credle will get a chance to talk ``funny'' as an Irish sea captain, and Bunch can show his mother just exactly what he has been doing each Tuesday afternoon.
Free and open to the public, the play is set for 7 p.m. in the school's auditorium. The school is at 610 Mowbray Arch, near The Chrysler Museum.
``Shakespeare is so seldom done, and to be performed by children is really quite magical,'' said Janice Salzberg, a professional actress who coordinates the program for the school. Salzberg's daughter, Ana, a sixth-grader at the school, plays the part of Olivia in the play.
Two years ago, inspired by Ana's questions, Salzberg decided to approach school officials with the idea of starting a Shakespearean theater program at the school.
``The children were already studying Shakespeare as literature in the third grade . . . but to really understand Shakespeare, you have to see it performed,'' Salzberg said. ``Shakespeare should be studied as theater, not as just as literature.''
At first, Salzberg and the children tackled classic Shakespearean scenes from works like ``As You Like It'' and ``Hamlet.'' The extracurricular activity became such a hit that they began taking on entire plays. Last summer, they performed ``A Midsummer's Night Dream.''
They chose ``Twelfth Night'' as their next production because, ``It is considered to be one of the best romantic comedies and a fun play to do,'' Salzberg said. ``It has such a carnival-like atmosphere, with lots of humor, laughter and love. The children were hooked from the beginning.''
For the production, music therapist Cathy Callo has written four original songs for the children to sing.
At a recent rehearsal, the children were eager to talk about the play and the playwright whom they say is ``neat.''
``He writes just great,'' said Erin Shank, 10, who is playing Viola in the production. ``I really like my character. She's a brave person and very kind. She expresses herself a lot. I'd like to be her.''
``Sometimes some of the words are hard to pronounce, but I just ask my Dad and he helps me,'' said Charlotte Clark, 9. ``It's not really hard.''
The reason they love The Bard so early in life is because ``we've gotten to these children before anyone has told them that Shakespeare is hard, that it's strange, that they won't understand it,'' Salzberg contends. ``It's amazing what they can do. They understand what they're saying; they're communicating the intelligence of the lines.
``As a result, they'll love Shakespeare for the rest of their lives.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by RICHARD L. DUNSTON
From left, Elizabeth Spruill, Ana Salzberg and Chris Del Vicchio
rehearse a scene from ``Twelfth Night.''
by CNB