“I don’t want my comments to seem hyperbolic—but my students and I feel that this was the richest literary experience we have ever had.”

“Many of my students, who had expressed trepidation in understanding Shakespeare, were surprised to find that they not only understood but also enjoyed the play.”

“I genuinely enjoy working with Tennessee Shakespeare Company and was grateful they were able to make adaptations to a fully virtual, asynchronous environment. I eagerly look forward to being able to return in person next year so that my students can get the full experience of all that the Romeo and Juliet Project has to offer.”

“Students are on their feet, role-playing significant characters, speaking English with fluency, and asking significant questions. After the first lesson, my scholars kept asking me, ‘When are they coming back?’ They were so excited and inspired by the process.”

“I learned an in-depth analysis about Romeo and Juliet, since the language in the actual text can be a little hard to understand.”

Student Prompt: Choose one character from the play that made decisions that led to negative outcomes. Please help that character by offering alternate choices that might lead to a positive outcome.

“A character from the play that made decisions that led to negative outcomes was Romeo. Some advice that I would give to him is to walk away when you see that things are getting bad. Don’t just let all the ‘pain’ and ‘guilt’ be on you.”

“I learned that there is an actual company that comes to schools to help students learn more about Shakespeare by inviting them to participate physically in his plays.”

“Please continue to fund this project. My students were very engaged and excited about this opportunity. TSC makes Shakespeare easier to understand for students, and they love roleplaying various scenes. This experience was priceless and meant so much to students. I look forward to working with TN Shakespeare Company again next year.”

“Students were so much more engaged in classroom learning because of the 3 sessions. They were able to draw literary parallels more easily and remember characters. They did delve into the material more deeply and more meaningfully than in other units. One student who has failed every test this year made a 97 on his Romeo and Juliet test. When I told him, he said, ‘This is the best story I’ve ever read. I’ve never even heard of Romeo and Juliet until two weeks ago.’ It is SO well done and engaging. It really blessed our little school to get to have TSC work with our students and perform for them. It was astounding.”

“The Romeo and Juliet Project is the only opportunity some of these students have to be exposed to actors and theater. It is a field trip without having to leave the classroom; plus, it is an unforgettable experience that makes high school fun. Students are able to try new things, like acting, while also learning valuable lessons about the preciousness of life.”

“Please continue to support the efforts of these talented actors who bring literature to life. Our students need to know that reading and writing are sources of enlightenment and entertainment, not for just a test. These talented actors help teach the life lessons I want my students to take away from this play, while gaining an appreciation for the genre. Past students still tell me how much they loved working with the actors and Romeo and Juliet.”