I tried something today that I have never done before, but was prompted to do from the book Shakespeare Set Free. The suggestion was a choral reading of the prologue from Romeo & Juliet and the results in my room were amazing. Here’s how I did it (somewhat adapted from the Folger Library suggestion):
1. Go around the room, and have each student read one word of the prologue.
2. Do that again, with less pause between words.
3. Have each student read half a line (there are natural halfway breaks in the lines).
4. Have each half of the room, in unison, read half a line. The two sides go back and forth on each line, creating a chorus effect. One student said it reminded him of church, and I guess it did.
I just want to show how excited the kids were about the prologue. The kids burst into applause when we finished! Can you believe that? They were applauding the prologue of Romeo & Juliet! Once student was so inspired by the choral reading, he wanted to rap it for us. He called out for a beat (another student responded with the beat after much prodding from the class) and the two “rapped” out the prologue.
