Ho-Ho-Kus March 17, 2010 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 5 Foundation grant allows program to continue by Jennifer Crusco Seventh grade students from the Ho-Ho-Kus Public School recently performed Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The show, which was funded by a Ho-Ho-Kus Education Foundation grant, was produced in conjunction with The American Globe Theater in Midtown Manhattan. Artist-in-Residence Rebecca Lopkin and Ho-Ho-Kus teachers Elaine Gavejian, Jennifer Bryant, and Caroline Richards worked closely with the students, who used the play as a vehicle to study the theme of identity. Richards recently expressed gratitude for the Ho-HoKus Education Foundation grant that made the production possible. “It’s a real opportunity for students to explore Shakespeare through performance,” she said of the project. Last year, the students studied the identity theme as they worked on a trio of Shakespearean plays. Those plays, which included “Twelfth Night,” “The Winter’s Tale,” and “The Comedy of Errors,” were eventually melded into one show, which was entitled “Storms of Identity.” “We focused on one play this year, again looking at identity,” Richards explained. “The kids spotted how identity changed throughout the course of the play, and how one creates an identity.” The educator added that just over 70 seventh grade students were involved in the project, with some roles being double-cast to allow more students an opportunity to perform. Other students worked behind the scenes in a variety of capacities, which included preparing the playbill and lighting the show. The Shakespearian residency program has been running at the public school for multiple years, and each year the program is a success. The students are challenged on multiple levels, as they must familiarize themselves with Shakespeare’s Elizabethan English, learn their roles, and evaluate the theme of identity. Shakespeare’s poetry and plays were popular in his own time. Many of his plays feature people who have multiple identities, making those works ideal for in-depth study. Pictured: Seventh grade students from the Ho-Ho-Kus Public School perform in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream.’ LANDSCAPE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION, INC. Full Service Landscape Professionals since 1978 E � �� � � � � � � � � � LANDSCAPE DESIGN CUSTOM LANDSCAPE MASONRY IRRIGATION AND LIGHTING FULL SERVICE PROPERTY MAINTENANCE ESIGN CENTER 413 Godwin Avenue, Midland Park • 201.891.1199 ANDSCAPE GALLERY AND GARDEN S 11 Barnstable Court, Saddle River • 201.825.4440 www.jacobsenlandscape.com D L The Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce congratulates Van Dyk Manor of Ridgewood, for being named one of ����������������������� 3-3-10 pat/janine JacobsonLandsc2x5Color(3-3-10) 2 x 5” ����������������� America’s Best Nursing Homes by U.S. News & World Report ' See the complete list at www.usnews.com/nursinghomes ��������� ����������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������ ������������������������������������������������������������������ Van Dyk Manor ' 304 S. Van Dien Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 201-445-8200 ' www.vandykhealthcare.com Family caring for family, since 1953 ����������������������������������� ������������������������������� ����������������� ���������������������