Shakespeare and Company Returns to Hayground School

For the 27th year, members of Shakespeare and Company, based in Massachusetts, have returned to Hayground School to stage a canonical work by Shakespeare with the students. This year, at the end of the residency, audiences will have the opportunity to see two performances of “The Tempest.”

Company members Abigail St. John, Kirsten Mulrenan, Naire Poole, and Ellie Bartz are back.

“We enjoy returning to Hayground every year,” said a spokesperson for the group. “The students are a joy to work with and the community is always so welcoming.”

Students ranging from age 3 to the middle-school. Senior learners have the opportunity to work with traveling actors and directors who present the text in a fun, lively, and age appropriate way. The whole school, including faculty, has the chance to act in the play. Roles range from nonspeaking characters to larger parts in longer, more complex scenes. To add to the hands-on engagement with the material, students also design, decorate, and build the sets.

The program is a collaborative effort with parents often jumping in to lend a hand and the whole community rallying together behind the performers.

For many students, the Shakespeare residency is a beloved tradition they look forward to each school year.

“It’s my favorite time of year at this school,” said Rosa, age 9. For others, it presents an opportunity for learning and growth. Julian, age 8, had a nonspeaking part for the last two years, but is proud to be speaking two lines this year. “Over the course of the last two years, I got more comfortable with the idea of speaking and I’m excited to have this part this year,” he said.

This year’s play, “The Tempest,” presents timely themes such as revenge, anger, empathy, and forgiveness. Though the play itself is over 400 years old, and the language is not altogether familiar to the students, by bringing the play to life they can revel in the joy of Shakespeare’s poetic turns of phrase, witticisms, and wise lessons that carry through to their present lived experiences.

The performances, which are free and open to the public, will take place on Thursday, December 19, at 1 and 6 p.m., in the auditorium of the Bridgehampton School. All are welcome. For more information, go to hayground.org.