Mike Wolanin | The Republic ABC Stewart student Ronald Brumberg, dresses as Cobweb, looks over his lines backstage during a performance of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream produced by ABC Stewart School’s Shakespeare Breakfast Club at ABC Stewart School in Columbus, Ind., Friday, Dec. 9, 2022.
You’re never too young to learn the work of William Shakespeare.
At least, that seems to be the thought behind the ABC-Stewart School’s Shakespeare Breakfast Club. Students in the club recently performed an abridged production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” for their classmates and families on Dec. 9 and 10.
“I’m moved and impressed by all of the students’ hard work,” said language arts teacher Jerry Maulin, who is the club’s sponsor and the play’s director.
He reported that their performances went very well, despite some issues with students getting sick. On Friday, two students were absent and teachers had to fill their parts. On Saturday, Maulin stepped in for another absent student, as “the show must go on.”
The Shakespeare Breakfast Club, now in its second year, meets on Fridays from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m., with students eating breakfast — donuts, more often than not — and then practicing one of William Shakespeare’s plays.
“The plays are all Shakespearean words, but it’s been abridged,” said Maulin.
Students at ABC-Stewart study the famed playwright’s works every three years. As they did so last year, Maulin got the idea to put on one of the Bard’s plays with some of the school’s older students, but wasn’t sure how many would be interested. He was surprised when about 18 students showed up at his door.
“I think the donuts got people going,” joked Kai Calas, 10, who played Queen Titania in this year’s production.
For the first 10 or 15 minutes, everyone is focused on breakfast, conceded Maulin.
“But then the next 45 minutes are all about Shakespeare and rehearsing, and the children are really interested and engaged and very impressive in their hard work,” he said.
“I’ve always liked acting and drama,” said Kai. “And, of course, I also like donuts. … So putting them together was really fun. And having all the older kids in one play that was more professional and more similar to the original was really fun for me.”
George Bachmeyer, 11, played Puck in this year’s show and Mercutio in last year’s production of “Romeo and Juliet.” He enjoyed it so much that he went to the Indiana Repertory Theatre in Indianapolis to do some training over the summer, said Maulin.
When asked what’s difficult about being part of a Shakespearean production, George said that memorizing his lines can be a challenge, though he feels he’s pretty good at it. And while he enjoys performing, there are often some last-minute jitters.
“I get nervous, like really nervous, before the play,” he said. “So I almost want to quit, because I’m scared about what I’m going to look like, what people are going to think of me. … Normally, I don’t like people laughing at me.”
“But now you want them to,” said Maulin.
Kai said that finding one’s character can also be difficult.
“You have to understand your lines, which is hard to do, to actually be able to embody the person that you’re playing,” she said. “…You have to read it a few times so it registers with you what the person is trying to say and how you should say it.”
Learning the lines is the most challenging part, said Maulin. First students have to learn the words; then they have to learn how to perform the words so that the audience understands what they’re saying.
“When we did ‘Romeo and Juliet’, I really didn’t know if we could pull it off or not,” he said. “But I like to give myself challenges. Just to do something of this high caliber with elementary students I think is quite a challenge.”
Both Kai and Geoerge said that the experience has helped them become more comfortable with public speaking and performing.
Maulin said that it also helps them being able to understand Shakespeare.
“And so when they encounter it again in the future, they will get even more from it,” he said.
