"THE KIDS THAT I HAVE SEEN TODAY JUST LOVED IT SO MUCH. THEY SAID THAT THEY FINALLY UNDERSTOOD SHAKESPEARE!"
Winter 2023 North Carolina Tour: Hamlet
In February of 2023 Mended Wing toured a four-actor Hamlet, directed by Beth Fletcher, to over a dozen Eastern NC schools and community centers. Founder Emmet Temple played Hamlet alongside a cast of previous Mended Wing collaborators, Nic Brown and Taigé Lauren, as well as fellow UNCSA 2017 Alum, Matt Foley. In a close collaboration with Ocracoke Alive, the Hyde County 21st Century Grant Program, and Pocosin Art School of Fine Craft, we not only brought performances to the many schools we visited, but also more in-depth Shakespeare-based enrichment programs to students in Mattamuskeet, Columbia, Hatteras, and Ocracoke.
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Spring 2022 North Carolina tour: Comedy of Errors
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Our 2022 Spring Tour of Shakespeare’s off-the-wall farce featured six young actors who were current students at the School of Drama at UNCSA, each in multiple roles. In this much-loved comedy set in the Greek seaport of Ephesus, Antipholus and Dromio of Syracuse arrive having no idea that their long-lost twins are already well known by everyone in town. As the number of mistaken identities increases, accusations of insanity, infidelity and even demonic possession are thrown around, until finally all is resolved in the sort of chaotic way only Shakespeare can pull off. After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we were thrilled that Mended Wing was able to return to the stage in fifteen locations across the state, including the Water's Edge Village School in Corolla, Mattamuskeet Middle School in Hyde County, Grover C. Fields Middle in New Bern, and Hillside High School in Durham. Here's what some of the students thought of the tour: "Something I enjoyed very much about the play was how energetic each character was. Each person was able to play 2 or more characters and keep each character's personality separate." "I thought their use of props was creative and comedic and the actors were very expressive." "I thought it was pretty interesting to see some young passionate actors works towards their dream." |
2020 Clayton County, Georgia:
MAcbeth
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In March 2020, we partnered with Clayton County Performing Arts Center to produce a five-actor Macbeth for students from around Clayton County.
This production marked many firsts: our first non-touring show, our first show with actors who weren't college students at UNCSA, and our first tragedy. As part of our partnership CCPAC, Mended Wing teaching artists Wade Hollomon and Emmet Temple lead a class on speaking Shakespeare at CCPAC the Monday before performances. |
2019 Atlanta to Miami Tour:
Twelfth Night
May 2019 saw us back on the road with a seven-actor cut of Twelfth Night, which we toured to eighteen schools and over 3,000 students across North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.
Younger audiences were delighted by the foolish antics of Sir Toby and Sir Andrew, dancing and drumming and causing a ruckus. High schoolers often sympathized with the tangled emotions of Viola and Olivia, Orsino and Sebastian.
2018 Atlanta to Miami tour:
Two Gentlemen of Verona
In May 2018, we took a six-actor adaptation of Two Gentlemen of Verona to middle and high schools in Atlanta, Brunswick, Macon, and Miami. In our rehearsal process, we blended text analysis with physical clowning and mask work to create a kinetic and playful show that maintained the beauty of Shakespeare's language. Here's what the teachers who helped us organize the tour in their schools said:
We loved having you guys! The kids that I have seen today just loved it so much, especially our international students. They said that they finally understood Shakespeare!
I can't fully express how amazing it was to see our youth smiling, laughing and having fun during the performance. You all provided them with a time to relax and let go, which is huge. The mission of Mended Wing is truly inspiring and we are happy to have the opportunity to be a part of it.
[The students] specifically talked about how they liked how often you guys extended the performance space into the house, how you played multiple characters but they could easily follow who each separate character was, and they loved the energy you brought to the performance.
We are SO VERY HAPPY to be included in your tour. The students are still talking about the play. Even the eighth graders whom I seldom get to see, will let me know how fun it was when we do happen to pass in the hallway during lunch transitions, and some have jokingly named me 'Mrs. Shakespeare.' Mended Wing Theatre has touched our school, and I feel blessed that you are all willing to continue to visit. You all will forevermore be welcome here in this little school in the middle of Georgia. Thank you!
We loved having you guys! The kids that I have seen today just loved it so much, especially our international students. They said that they finally understood Shakespeare!
I can't fully express how amazing it was to see our youth smiling, laughing and having fun during the performance. You all provided them with a time to relax and let go, which is huge. The mission of Mended Wing is truly inspiring and we are happy to have the opportunity to be a part of it.
[The students] specifically talked about how they liked how often you guys extended the performance space into the house, how you played multiple characters but they could easily follow who each separate character was, and they loved the energy you brought to the performance.
We are SO VERY HAPPY to be included in your tour. The students are still talking about the play. Even the eighth graders whom I seldom get to see, will let me know how fun it was when we do happen to pass in the hallway during lunch transitions, and some have jokingly named me 'Mrs. Shakespeare.' Mended Wing Theatre has touched our school, and I feel blessed that you are all willing to continue to visit. You all will forevermore be welcome here in this little school in the middle of Georgia. Thank you!
2017 Georgia Tour:
A Midsummer Night's Dream
For our first tour, in spring 2017, we visited schools in Atlanta, Macon, and Brunswick Georgia with a tour of A Midsummer Night's Dream. This was most of the company members' first time working on a show predominantly aimed at younger audiences that focused heavily on storytelling in direct terms so that language could be made clear with action. We began the process with the belief that students of middle-school-age and up would be engaged by Shakespeare, rather than bored or mystified. This belief was confirmed in every show we have done since!
Teachers from the 2017 tour reached out to us after, and encouraged us to organize a second tour. Here are some of the messages that inspired us to keep expanding:
I cannot begin to tell you how much our students and faculty enjoyed your performance. Thank you for producing Shakespeare in a way that was both accessible and entertaining for our students!
I want to thank you on behalf of the entire department. I appreciate you sharing your talents, love for theatre and amazing insights. Our students truly appreciated it. We look forward to working with you in the future.
The kids were really inspired by your visit, and they loved the work. And for me, it was awesome to have the things I tell them all the time to become new to them!
Thank-you all for the splendid performance. The students were engaged and having a great time watching you guys perform…We look forward to the next performance.
Teachers from the 2017 tour reached out to us after, and encouraged us to organize a second tour. Here are some of the messages that inspired us to keep expanding:
I cannot begin to tell you how much our students and faculty enjoyed your performance. Thank you for producing Shakespeare in a way that was both accessible and entertaining for our students!
I want to thank you on behalf of the entire department. I appreciate you sharing your talents, love for theatre and amazing insights. Our students truly appreciated it. We look forward to working with you in the future.
The kids were really inspired by your visit, and they loved the work. And for me, it was awesome to have the things I tell them all the time to become new to them!
Thank-you all for the splendid performance. The students were engaged and having a great time watching you guys perform…We look forward to the next performance.
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