Shakespeare & Friends USA

We present classic plays adapted for school-age children. Shakespeare & Friends performs plays at schools with a cast of professional actors, providing a spectacle full of adventure and fun that allows children to experience firsthand the joy and wonder of the spoken word.


How will we do it?

Through the theater, we will introduce the children to the world of the Greats of Universal Literature, emphasizing the pantheon of English-speaking writers: Shakespeare, Twain, Melville, Dickens and Alcott. We will guide and awaken in the little ones a magical world full of adventure! Shakespeare and his friends will arrive through our theater company to the public and private schools of the State of Florida, aiming to reach some 100,000 children in the next two years.
Our first project will be “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare.
 

STEAM Connection:
The plays Shakespeare & Friends will produce are an ideal component of STEAM education. With our first play, “The Tempest”, early elementary students will explore weather and the power of wind. Older elementary students will collaborate on solutions to move a group of stranded people from an island that is hundreds of miles from the mainland using math and science, instead of magic. Shakespeare & Friends is a cultural program that aims to encourage reading in children from an early age, so they can assess, use and recognize the importance of their language.

Why Shakespeare? 
Shakespeare’s influence is profound; his plays, poems, and sonnets have influenced almost all the writers of the world for several centuries. In addition to Shakespeare, we want to introduce children to many of the other great writers he inspired.


The Tempest
The Tempest is believed to be the last work written by William Shakespeare. This play tell the story of a duke named Prospero, who, interested in magic, neglects his responsibilities at court. His brother Antonio takes advantage of this situation and banishes Prospero (along with his daughter Miranda), taking over control of the dukedom.

Prospero and Miranda are stranded on an enchanted island. While there, Prospero encounters the other magical beings who inhabit the island and continues to practice his powers. Years later, thanks to those powers, his is able to create a great storm (“the tempest” of the title), and those responsible for his exile are shipwrecked and arrive on the island. These events eventually lead to a reconciliation, and the return of Prospero to his country.  The Tempest is a magical story where fantastical beings play an essential role in the resolution of human conflicts. 


Our Version
Adaptation for children of William Shakespeare’s classic.
 Our Tempest is a version of William Shakespeare’s classic, where a duke and his daughter are banished to an enchanted island. Years later, those responsible for his exile arrive on that same island. Thanks to the tricks, cunning and help of the fantastic beings that inhabit the island, the protagonists of the story are able overcome their conflicts and reconcile their feelings. It’s a story where justice and love triumph for the common good.

In our version, music and magical elements guide the protagonists along a path of reconciliation and justice. Our humorous version stars a clown and other magical characters, which is key to connecting the children with this classic. The fantastic characters present in the original text have been a fundamental element in the selection of this piece as it appeals to children’s imagination. The simplicity of Shakespeare’s plot line also makes it more accessible to children.

The original work’s message of brotherhood and justice have not been compromised either. The five-act structure of the Elizabethan Theater has been maintained and the presence of the character of Prospero as guide and narrator of the story has been maintained in order to strengthen his bond with the spectators.