BY
William Shakespeare
ADAPTED & DIRECTED BY
Daryl Cloran
CONCEIVED BY
Daryl Cloran AND THE Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival
FEBRUARY 15 – MARCH 20, 2022 | QUADRACCI POWERHOUSE This Teacher Guide is designed to be used in the classroom along with Milwaukee Rep’s PlayGuide for As You Like It. This PlayGuide is available online at: www.MilwaukeeRep.com/AsYouLikeIt As You Like It Teacher Guide written by Lindsey Hoel-Neds
Topics for
Teaching & Learning:
Period Design for the Stage Gender and Society Character Analysis
Discussion Questions 1. Is deception ever okay? Why or why not? In what circumstances might it be alright? 2. Do you believe in love at first sight? How might that be different from connections made over time? 3. Should authority always be listened to and respected? In what circumstances is it okay or right to defy authority? In what circumstances might it be dangerous or problematic to do so?
4. How does your gender impact your life? Are your choices, opportunities, treatment, etc. impacted by your gender? Is that impact positive, negative, or neutral? 5. How have our society’s views and expectations based on gender changed over the years, even just in the past few years? How has that impacted your life and the lives of others around you?
Music as a Tool for Characterization In this adaptation of As You Like It, the music of The Beatles is used as a tool to advance the story. Music can be a powerful way to view the world and the stories we tell. Have students look at the various characters in As You Like It and complete one of two playlists: A theme song for each character in the play - OR A playlist for one character that illustrates their journey throughout the show. Students should accompany their playlists with explanations of why they chose the songs that they did. David Leon as John Lennon in Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles. Photo credit: Broadway.com.
The Intersection of Love and Poetry
As You Like It is all about love, and Shakespeare’s work is all about poetic verse. Have students combine the two by writing odes, or poems that exalt a person or object. Start with having students read examples of odes from different poets - Pablo Neruda was a master of odes raising up all sorts of subjects from the people around him to artichokes to socks. After students have read and talked about some odes, have them try their hand at writing their own. Students may either write an ode to a person, an ode to a food or other favorite thing, or perhaps even a self-compassion ode to themselves. Have students share their odes aloud or through another visual or digital platform.
The Intersection of Musical and Cultural Icons
The Beatles were not only one of the biggest musical groups of the 20th century, but also huge “influencers” well before the days of Instagram and TikTok. Have students read the article in the PlayGuide about the cultural influence of The Beatles. After the students have read the article, ask them which musicians they think might have similar influence during their lifetimes. If it seems there are some names emerging over and over again, allow students to break into similar-minded teams and stage a debate. Student teams should research their chosen artist and present facts to the group as to why they think the artist is a cultural icon. At the end of the research and debate session, have students take a blind vote to decide which musician is the biggest “influencer” in our culture.
Gender and Society
Societal norms based on gender are constantly evolving, as is the concept of gender itself. As You Like It explores gender norms and Rosalind’s ability to transcend them as she is in disguise as Ganymede. Start this project with a discussion of student understanding and opinions on gender. Be sure to establish a safe and brave space for students before having these conversations, as they can be emotional for many. Have students explore gendered expectations in one of two ways: Students can research alone or in groups gendered expectations during particular times in history. They can look to Shakespeare’s time and connect it to the play, look to other times in their lifetimes, or during a time completely of their choosing. After students have done the research, have them report their findings in comparison to what they believe are gendered expectations in today’s society. - OR Students can choose a piece of media they would like to examine through a gender lens. This media can be something contemporary or something more traditional such as a Shakespeare text, a fairy tale, or another “classic” work. Students may explore literature or newer forms such as film, television, digital content, or music. Once students have chosen a piece of media to analyze, have students do a close reading of the piece, focusing on the gender norms and rules implied by the work. After students have established the rules of the “world” created by the piece, have them discuss why they would or would not want to live within those constraints or expectations.
Social Media Character Profiles In As You Like It, the importance of love letters between Orlando and Rosalind is key to the plot of the play. These letters not only help us to see the burgeoning romance between the protagonists, but also help the viewer understand the characters and how they develop. While writing paper letters may not be as en vogue these days, the ways one communicates on social media can tell us much about them.
Have students select a character from the play they would like to embody for this assignment. After selecting their character, have students create faux social media accounts/posts for their character. (There are some great templates for Google Slides here: https:// ditchthattextbook.com/social-media-templates/) After Company of the Bard on the Beach production of As You Like It, 2018. students complete their Slides, compile them together to Photo Credit: Tim Matheson, Bard on the Beach. be shared with the entire class. This assignment can be a great way to have students look at character’s priorities and development - you can even have students do a profile/post for a character towards the beginning of the play and then again at the end when they have developed over the progression of the story.
Design for a Decade
This adaptation of As You Like It brings the world of the 1960s to life through its music, scenery, and costumes. Many of Shakespeare’s plays have seen productions set in a myriad of times and places. Have students play with the ideas of setting and technical design with their own design plan for As You Like It. After reading or attending the play, break students into design teams. Each team should develop a design concept for the production including time period and location. After developing the concept for the production, teams need to create several costume designs, scenic drawings or a 3-D model, song choices, and any other elements of the design you want them to create. After completing their full design, students will present their ideas through a production meeting format where other students may ask them questions and you as the “director” can make sure their vision is clear for the imagined production.
Janis Joplin, iconic 60s rocker and hippie fashion icon. Photo credit: TheMindCircle.com.
STANDARDS CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.4: Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.6: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.7: Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.5: Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.3: Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.8: Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research question; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
WI TP.R.12.h: View Performance: Demonstrate developmentally appropriate audience etiquette at a professional performance.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
WI TD.Cr.16.h: Collaboration: Collaborate as a creative team with specified roles to make artistic, interpretive choices in a devised or scripted work.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9-10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
WITD.Cr.13.h: Design: Create a selection of documents and/or artifacts for three or more design elements for a production.
WI SEL.18.9-10 Relationship Skills: Learners will be able to formulate group goals and work through an agreed upon plan.
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