Northshore Magazine

141 Cahill. "No matter what the age, every ac- tor is considered an equal member of the team. Throughout the sessions, we help students explore his or her own unique abilities and encourage creative risk-tak- ing with the support of peers." Chris Martel's story is a testament to Cahill's work. Once a student of Cahill's summer program, Martel went on to study drama at Vassar College. Graduating in 2012, he rejoined Cahill to teach a residen- cy at Marblehead Middle School under Ca- hill's tutelage. With backgrounds in voice, movement, choreography, stage combat, and improvisation, Martel and alumnus cum instructor Sam Fleming worked with 300 students this past winter. Thirty or so 12- and 13-year-olds file into the Marblehead Middle School audi- torium for Laura Nash's 1:35 p.m. English class. Built in the 1930s, the grand hall— complete with red velvet curtains and Corinthian columns flanking the stage— creates a formal backdrop to an informal class. Dressed in UGG boots, T-shirts, jeans, and the occasional smile revealing a mouth full of metal, the students head to the stage and sit in a circle. Cahill is about to begin working through the scenes of A Midsummer Night's Dream with the students. But first she gives a quiz: "Who came to Shakespeare's plays?" "Why were women not allowed to perform?" "How did the audience react to these plays?" Cahill asks her young audience. The teens eagerly raise their hands—a welcoming sight for any adult, let alone a lover of Shakespeare. Cahill is always careful to relate the answers back to modern day. Once the quiz is over, Cahill, Martel, and Fleming begin breathing, voice, and moving exercises—not something every 13-year-old is comfortable doing in front of his or her peers, but all are participat- ing, taking the instruction seriously. "Kids at this age have no fear of poetic language and they are full of emotion," Cahill says. "They really get into the stories. It's not about being perfect, it's about exploring [one]self," she says. This spring, she plans to take 25 kids to Stratford-upon-Avon to celebrate Shakespeare's 450th birthday. "I plan a trip with students once a year to attend the Shakespeare festival—we perform and dress in Elizabethan costumes." And come summer, Cahill will be back on Winter Island in Salem—a place reminiscent of the magical island in Shakespeare's The Tempest—for her 25th season. Cahill has taught 1,500 young ac- tors through the summer programs and many have gone on to theatre-related careers. Some are even teaching Shake- speare in schools and theatres across the country. Rebel alumni have studies at Shakespeare's Globe in London and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Cahill explains that she would like Rebel Shakespeare to continue on into the future. "When I started the program, it was the only one, but now there are a few others around the country." She hopes to continue to find instructors with the same passion for the poet and plays as she has. "Shakespeare writes about true emotion and circumstance—his words tran- scend time," she says. When asked what her favorite Shakespeare play is, Cahill doesn't hesitate, responding "A Winter's Tale," a play often described as layered and dreamlike. Perhaps, it is the line about how children can make "old hearts fresh" that resonates with Cahill. Seeing these teenagers revel in iambic pentameter and blank verse makes that statement ring true, loud and clear. rebelshakespeare.org ● n Young Thespians Students from Marblehead Middle School perform A Midsummer Night's Dream this past winter. Opposite, Summer students spend full days learning about the famous Bard and practicing their acting techniques. photographs by joel laino, photographs by keri cahill (opposite page) REV_Apr14 Shakespeare.indd 141 2/21/14 4:46 PM

• Cover