Oxnard College students explored Elizabethan history and dissected Shakespearian rhetoric brought forth by two theatre arts experts in a mini-workshop held at the Oxnard College Literature, Arts & Lecture Series on March 3.
Willow Greer and Mike Peebler from the Theatricum Botanicum, a repertory theatre nestled in Topanga, hosted the discussion in “Shakespeare’s Life & Language.”
“I have noticed that performing arts are always first to go in budget cuts and this is sad. We are trying to keep it alive,” said Peebler. “We do lots of educational programming and to see such confidence evolve in a person is very important. Inspiration in the arts means understanding something in yourself.”
Peebler handed out extracts of Act 2: Scene 2 from “Hamlet” and had students participate in the break-down of Shakespeare’s dialogue.
Greer gathered the students in a circle and showed them a traditional Elizabethan (Galliard) dance and courtship gestures. Later, she divulged detailed history that pertained to that specific era.
The two educators explained that Shakespeare has long been misinterpreted and misunderstood. In their assertion, they also mentioned that secret decoding of Shakespeare’s verses is critical to delivering a phenomenal performance as a thespian.
Elissa Caruth, an English Literature professor believed students were confidently engaged in the activities and portrayed great depth of knowledge in the Shakespearean field.
“Shakespeare is everywhere in America,” she said. “From pop culture and the Lion King, to Madonna and O.J. Simpson. Shakespeare shapes, informs and reflects American Culture today.”
Greer and Peebler hope to motivate people into expanding their ability in all forms of art. Theatricum Botanicum will be holding auditions for summer season productions starting March 19. Works from renowned playwrights like William Shakespeare and Alexandre Dumas will be recreated and performed in their theatre.
Shelley Savren, English Professor and coordinator for this event was delighted by the workshop.
“This was fantastic. Firstly, many of these students have never seen a Shakespearean skit before,” said Savren. “Participating today was fun. The language breakdown and interpretation was very informative for students. It certainly brought Shakespeare to life today.”
Marissa Blanco, a 20-year-old English major, was among the many students who attended the workshop.
“I really enjoyed how they gathered everyone and explained the Shakespearean epoch. It was fun and charismatic for me,” said Blanco.
Henry Martinez, a 19-year-old TV/Film Production major, was also in attendance.
“Being here helped me learn about the vocalization and explanation of language, not just the written but the spoken as well,” he said.
The next lecture from the Literature, Arts and Lecture series is titled “Understanding Women in the Middle East” and will be held on March 10 in LS-8. The lecture is from 12:45 p.m. to 1:45p.m. and is free of charge.
For more information on the series please contact Shelley Savren at [email protected] or (805) 986-5800 ext. 1951.
Willow Greer from Theatricum Botanicum and students take a bow at the Oxnard College Literature, Arts and Lecture Series. (Monica Valencia)
