What would our world be without Shakespeare?
Not majestic, or madcap, or laughable, or even zany, because those are all words Shakespeare invented.
The global arts community is celebrating the Bard’s 450th birthday this year, but Highland Park residentManon Spadaro has a bigger, more ambitious goal: to get local kids excited about Shakespeare’s writings.
“The biggest hurdle with Shakespeare is not the words—it’s getting over the fear,” says Spadaro, a former teacher at the Lake Forest Country Day School and currently a featured singer with theStu Hirsh Orchestra. “In my opinion, Shakespeare was written for teens to act. All of his characters are written from their own point-of-view, they share their innermost thoughts with the audience. They’re relatable; they’re impulsive; they don’t always think before they act. Look at ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ two teens in love who feel misunderstood. It’s amazing when kids make the connection, it’s pretty powerful.”
Be Not Afraid of Greatness!
And so, in March 2013 Spardaro launched Chicago Youth Shakespeare, a nonprofit dedicated to artistically inspiring Chicago’s school age kids about the famous playwright. Her board includesLouis Fantasia, renowned Shakespeare educator, producer and former Globe Centre director.
In just over a year, Spadaro has worked hard to make all the world—or at least Chicago—a stage for Shakespeare’s words. In its first year, CYS’s accomplishments were monumental (another Shakespeare word!), with the inaugural company including kids from Chatham to Lindenhurst and points in-between.
“Diversity was the most successful part of the program,” Spardaro says. “By the end of the first rehearsal we were like a finely tuned ensemble.”
In addition to the Youth Company, Spadaro, inspired by Chicago’s own “Louder than a Bomb,” launched the “Battle of the Bard,” an annual Shakespeare competition open to Chicago-area public and private schools. Participating schools get free educational resources and access to workshop materials. Funds raised by the teams go directly to the sponsoring school, with the winner earning an additional monetary prize.
Spadaro’s courtship (thanks again, Will) of teachers in the Chicago Public Schools and other area cultural institutions has put Chicago Youth Shakespeare on a fast-track to greatness.
“I’d like to see 100 schools participating next year,” she says of the Battle of the Bard. “I want to help teachers make Shakespeare come alive.”
National recognition has come quickly, too, with one of Spadaro’s young actors recently making the top 10 in the National Shakespeare Competition.
Shakespeare for ‘A Summer’s Day’
Spadaro’s summer intensive workshop participants, who meet at CYS’s nifty new home at theHairpin Arts Center, will be busy entertaining crowds this summer. Currently scheduled are evening performances at Hairpin in late July, gigs at Millennium Park and at the Wrigley tent on Michigan Avenue; for updates, check the CYS website.
The Play’s The Thing
For all she’s accomplished, Spadaro isn’t satisfied yet. “I want it way bigger than it is. I’m impatient, I’m in a hurry. I want more kids to experience this!”
