All the world’s a stage, even for some juvenile offenders
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — For some juvenile offenders, their choice is straight out of Hamlet: to act or not to act.
Shakespeare & Company, a theater company in Lenox, Massachusetts, works with the courts to get youngsters who run afoul of the law sentenced to perform works of Shakespeare onstage as an alternative to community service or juvenile detention.
Juveniles sentenced to Shakespeare read the bard’s works, take on the role of one or more of his characters, come up with ideas for costumes and sets, memorize their lines, rehearse and then act out their roles for an audience of family, friends and court personnel.
The kids almost always hate the idea of performing Shakespeare at first, but by the end of the six-week program, many say they’ve found new friends and a new sense of accomplishment.
“Honestly, you would never catch me doing this stuff if I didn’t have to, but it’s taught me teamwork and to just chill out and listen,” said one 17-year-old boy who will play Macbeth in a March 22 production that will include scenes and monologues from various Shakespeare plays.
For the past 17 years, Shakespeare in the Courts has been used to sentence youths accused of a variety of lower-level crimes, including larceny, assault and battery and vandalism. In 2007, the program won a national “Coming Up Taller” award from the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities.
The probation officers, teachers and others who work in the program hope it will help the teens respect the feelings of others, fulfill a commitment and foster a sense of pride.
“I never really tried acting or theater, so coming in, it was challenging,” said the 17-year-old playing Macbeth, shortly after practicing the famous sword-fighting scene during a recent rehearsal at a Pittsfield church.
The Associated Press is not using the teens’ names because they are minors, and their identities are protected by the court.