In response to the growing problem of in-school violence across the country, a unique program is planned here with the goal of reducing the possibility of violence among local teenagers. Next fall, students from Big Pine Key to Key West will be brought to the Tennessee Williams Fine Arts Center to see violent scenes from Shakespeare performed on stage.
The project, titled "Random Acts of Shakespeare," is a joint venture between the Florida Keys Community College Theatre Dept. and the Monroe County School System.
"We hope to use the universality of Shakespeare to instruct students in how to deal with intense emotions before they lead to desperate acts of violence," said project coordinator Michael Boyer, a faculty member in the Theatre Dept.
Scenes portrayed on stage will be from the three plays by Shakespeare students study in school— Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and Julius Caesar. After the stage presentation, the audience will be divided into groups and counselors will lead discussions on violence and alternatives to violence, Boyer said.
Terry Deischer, the Safety and Crisis Management Specialist for the Monroe County School System, will supervise the counselors.
A preview performance will be scheduled for parents and others in the community interested in the project.
A $3,200 Arts & Education grant has been received from the Florida Secretary of State. Additional grants have been requested from the Dept. of Juvenile Justice and the Community Foundation of the Florida Keys. Two of three grants require local matching funds; and the Tennessee Williams Fine Arts Center Founder's Society has adopted this program. A jewelry auction is scheduled for May. If you have some jewelry you would like to donate, call the TWFAC box office at 296-1520.