By: Yuka Noda
Staff Writer
As Shakespeare had once stated, “I like this place and willingly could waste my time in it.”
Many people at Costa have also found a place for themselves through joining or creating various clubs. Junior Darby Power established a Shakespeare club on campus in an effort to show and share her love of Shakespearean literature with others.
At the start of her junior year, Power dedicated a club to Shakespeare and his works because she had always been a big fan of Shakespeare’s literature.
“I’ve seen that some people don’t read his works outside of class because reading one of his plays alone can seem pretty daunting,” Power said. “I wanted to give people a place to meet with others who are interested in Shakespearean drama as well, because the high school curriculum only includes a few of his plays.”
In the Shakespeare Club, members discuss Shakespeare’s various literary works, ranging from his most well-known, including “Macbeth,” to some of his less prominent pieces of literature, such as “Coriolanus.” The members not only recite, perform and analyze Shakespearean plays together, but also watch some of his plays on video as an additional supplement to aid in understanding the contents.
“The club gives students a fun, laid-back environment to study the bard at any level, be it through performing with friends, studying how popular actors have portrayed his characters or discussing one of his plays,” Power said. “We are open to everyone, whether you are a die-hard Shakespeare fan or you just want to learn a little more about him and his writing.”
Aside from performing scenes from Shakespeare, the club members also celebrated Halloween by playing a game that involved Shakespearean trivia and a performance. In addition, they attended a performance of “Macbeth” in Redondo Beach.
“Being able to discuss Shakespeare’s works with others and to participate in more activities than just reading one of his plays gives literature fans a way to be more involved in Shakespearean literature,” Power said. “The group environment also helps to promote a higher level of understanding and enjoyment for his work.”
The club members plan to go to local Shakespeare productions on a regular basis, such as the Shakespeare by the Sea performances during the summer. They also plan to host performances of their own, with recitations of short scenes and monologues to fundraise for various organizations throughout the year.
“I hope the club will bring more people together around literature and drama,” junior Walker-Van
Aalst said. “If the club brings an appreciation of Shakespeare-especially his humor—to more people, that would be wonderful.”
Currently, there are 14 members in the Shakespeare Club. The club meets on Fridays in Room 18 with its advisor, freshman English and creative writing teacher Shannon Vaughan.
“At this point, [the English curriculum] only covers two pieces by Shakespeare,” Vaughan said. “I hope this club will grow until there is enough members and that they feel confident enough to put
on Shakespearean plays.”
Leave a Reply