Laurette in Great Women of Shakespeare That’s Storytelling-Shakespeare! “You made Shakespeare FUN!” - a 10 year-old audience member “What a great idea! My students are now interested in Shakespeare – and they weren’t before. Thank you!” - 5^th grade teacher, Oklahoma (MORE INFORMATION BELOW) For ALL Ages!	L aurette W illis’ is: IDEO TestimoniesStory BELOW:Click here for: « HOME « BIO « Recommendations « STORE « PraiseMoves « Keynotes/Seminars « Shows « Storytelling « PowerMoves Kids (Character Ed. & Fitness!) « Alternative Education Residencies « “Under the Cherokee Moon” « FAQ « Fitness for His Witness « Ascential Nutrition Products « CONTACT US
Shakespeare in Storytelling Format “The Woman of 101 Voices” Meets “The Bard of Avon!” Also known as Great Women of Shakespeare, this is Shakespeare in a clever storytelling format suitable for grades 4 thru adult! In Storytelling-Shakespeare, students and adults alike enjoy hearing the background of Shakespeare’s life and the influences that sparked his remarkable creativity. Laurette touches on drama in England before “The Bard” – the mystery, morality and miracle plays of the Middle Ages. Everybody LOVES a story… Two of Shakespeare’s most popular plays are presented in storytelling format: Romeo and Juliet and The Tragedy of Macbeth. Laurette has condensed each play to tell the story in a way young and old can enjoy, and to provide a framework for some of the plays’ most stirring soliloquies. You’ll swear you’re hearing the teenage Juliet sighing over her Romeo… Later you’ll hear the cackling witches give their evil prophesies to Macbeth, Thane of Glamis “…that shalt be KING hereafter!” And ooo!—what a piece of work that Lady Macbeth, eh? While Romeo and Juliet is a tragic tale of love and passion, Macbeth is a far more gruesome story of greed, fear and ultimately madness. The plotlines are condensed and the stories are told with color and variety. This technique creates the framework wherein some of Shakespeare’s choicest lines may be delivered as written, losing as little of their punch as possible. *** Wondering how to interest students in Shakespeare? Storytelling-Shakespeare could be your answer! Preceding the telling of the tales Laurette briefly covers: 1. Shakespeare’s life 2. Drama in England before the time of Shakespeare, and the influences which helped inspire him 3. Medieval Mystery, Miracle and Morality Plays and how they were presented 4. Presentation of plays during Shakespeare’s time, the Globe theatre and why theatres were relegated to outside the gates of London… 5. What is blank verse? 6. What, pray tell, is iambic pentameter? Great Women of Shakespeare (Comedy or Tragedy) is suitable for grades 4 through adult (popular with college audiences, too). Pssst -- Hungry for more culture? How about Emily Dickinson? We recommend Introducing: Miss Emily Dickinson to college and adult audiences. You will experience her words come to life in ways you’ve never imagined before! As Miss Emily wrote, “The soul selects her own society, then shuts the door…” You’ve been invited, so come on in (and shut the door behind you). Follow the link to… Introducing: Miss Emily Dickinson One-Woman Shows: Laurette’s original one-woman shows and seminars are available for matching funds from the Oklahoma Arts Council or the Mid-America Arts Alliance (search under Willis) for Public non-profit groups and schools. • Great Women of the Bible • Susanna Wesley: LIVE! • The Nutty ‘40s Radio Show! • Great Women of the Frontier • Historical Hysterics • The REAL Belle Starr • Storytelling Shakespeare • Introducing: Miss Emily Dickinson • Great Women of the Oil Fields • Folktales of Scotland • Sister Aimee (Aimee Semple McPherson) • Reflections: Letters from World War II A versatile and energetic presenter, Laurette Willis will captivate your audience and turn a special project or gala evening program into an experience to be remembered! For information on how to bring Laurette to your area, please CONTACT Laurette directly. Thank you for visiting! IDEO TestimoniesStory BELOW:Click here for: « HOME « BIO « Recommendations « STORE « PraiseMoves « Keynotes/Seminars « Shows « Storytelling « PowerMoves Kids (Character Ed. & Fitness!) « Alternative Education Residencies « “Under the Cherokee Moon” « FAQ « Fitness for His Witness « Ascential Nutrition Products « CONTACT US		“Sarah Bernhardt I’m not…” Lady Macbeth artwork by Sam Norkin Summer 1979, New York City: I saw Meryl Streep and Raul Julia in “The Taming of the Shrew” in Central Park. My starving-actor friends and I packed picnic lunches and sat in the sun all day for a chance to be close to the stage to see our idols at the free Shakespeare in the Park performance. Seeing Shakespeare brought to life by such competent, gifted actors fanned the theatrical flame within me. Suddenly, Shakespeare made sense – it had to be carefully understood and faithfully presented by dynamic actors who could make dramatic poetry sound natural (unlike the plodding attempts I’d heard before). It CHALLENGED me to do and to be better. -- Laurette