Entering its third year, the Delaware Shakespeare Community Tour brings the Bard to under-served populations in and around Delaware.
Most of these performances are also open to the public with a required RSVP to (and subsequent confirmation from) INFO@DELSHAKES.ORG.
This special tour has given me the opportunity to take my sons inside a senior center and homeless resource center to experience Shakespeare alongside men and women in a much different place in life. It has been one of the many blessings of our home education lifestyle. Different from volunteering or donating, here we sit together as an audience, sharing a couple hours of laughs, gasps, and a few tears. Before and after each performance is the opportunity to mingle with the actors and attendees, to be a part of the community.
This year, a twenty-minute discussion will be facilitated after each performance to discuss the modern implications of the themes of The Merchant of Venice. There’s even a cheat sheet to get caught up on the controversies surrounding this play and prepare for the discussion.
For our part, I’ve prepped my sons with the outline of the story using some interesting resources. The Merchant of Venice graphic novel by Gareth Hinds offers modernized language without being crass and covers much of the plot. The Thug Notes summary of the play is hilarious, but not necessarily safe for children. He gives the skeleton of the plot and wraps up with a discussion of some of the themes. It’s worthwhile if you need a quick catch-up.
The tour begins tonight and I strongly suggest purchasing tickets to one of the Studio Performances at OperaDelaware on November 17th, 8:00 pm, and November 18th, 2:00 pm, to help support this effort.
Wednesday 10/24 at 6pm
Ministry of Caring/Sacred Heart Village (Wilmington)
Thursday 10/25 at 6pm
University of Delaware hosted by the Jewish Studies Program (Newark)
Friday 10/26 at 7:00pm
Christina Cultural Arts Center (Wilmington)
Wednesday 10/31 at 4pm
First State Community Action Agency (Georgetown)
Thursday 11/1 at 7:00pm
Siegel JCC (Wilmington)
Saturday 11/3 at 7pm
CAMP Rehoboth (Rehoboth Beach)
Sunday 11/4 at 2pm
Route 9 Library & Innovation Center (New Castle)
Wednesday 11/7 at 6pm
Delaware Center for Homeless Veterans (Wilmington)
Thursday 11/8 at 5:30pm
Groves Adult High School – Red Clay (Stanton)
Friday 11/9 at 6pm
Latin American Community Center (Wilmington)
Sunday 11/11 at 2pm
Dover Public Library (Dover)
Tuesday 11/13 at 5:30pm
Group performance for Georgetown-area substance abuse treatment facilities (Georgetown Public Library)
Wednesday 11/14 at 6pm
Polytech Adult High School (Woodside)
Friday 11/16 at 2pm
Delaware Psychiatric Center (Wilmington)
NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC: Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution, Howard R. Young Correctional Institution, Sussex Correctional Institution
And don’t forget: SHAKESPEARE IS FUN!
God bless,
Jason