Production Case Study: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Episode 197: Production Case Study: A Midsummer Night’s Dream Tracy Garratt’s students wanted to be challenged and show what they could do. In this Production Case Study we’re talking Shakespeare. More specifically, student driven Shakespeare. Show Notes * Drama Teacher Academy   Episode Transcript Welcome to the Drama Teacher Podcast brought to you by Theatrefolk – the Drama Teacher Resource Company. I’m Lindsay Price. Hello! I hope you're well. Thanks for listening! This is Episode 197 and you can find any links to this episode in the show notes which are at Theatrefolk.com/episode197. Today, we are doing another production case study and we’re talking about Shakespeare – more specifically too, student-driven Shakespeare. Where do you start with Shakespeare? How do you get your students to make the decisions? Well, you should listen in if these are your questions. I think we might have some answers! Let’s find out together and let’s get to it. LINDSAY: Hello everyone! I am here, talking to Teacher Tracy Garratt today. Hello, Tracy! TRACY: Hi! How are you? LINDSAY: I’m wonderful. Let’s start. I like to let everybody know where in the world our guest is. So, where in the world are you? TRACY: I am in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. LINDSAY: Which is literally a hop, skip, and a jump away from me. We can’t quite wave to each other but it’s almost. TRACY: Almost, half an hour drive. LINDSAY: Half an hour away. We’re going to talk today about you recently did a production of our adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream with some fabulous pictures which are going to be in the show notes. But, first of all, I want to just sort of talk to you. How long have you been a teacher? TRACY: This is my sixteenth-year teaching. LINDSAY: How is it for you sixteen years down the road? Are you still happy teaching? TRACY: I still love it. I still think that it’s the best choice that I’ve made in my life – other than having my son. Most days, I get up and think, “I can’t believe I get paid to do this,” and I have taken to saying to my kids, “You know, you have to find work where you get up and you wonder, ‘Are you stealing from your boss?’ because I can’t believe I’m getting paid to do this.” That’s my attitude. Thus far, I still feel that way. I’m still lucky. Of course, we have days that are not great but, most of the time, I don’t believe that I get paid for this. It’s crazy. LINDSAY: I sit around sometimes and there are some days where I am in my pajamas at noon and I’m like, “How did this happen that I have a job where this is happening?” It’s just wonderful, you know. What is it about teaching that that was the thing that you wanted to do? TRACY: I just love kids. I love being around kids. I love their energy. I love their positive aura, if you could say that. I love the fact that everything is new to them. They’re not afraid of making mistakes. I just think that kids are the best and they keep me young. So, I’m really appreciative of that, especially as I enter my fifties. LINDSAY: I would never know that. You always struck me as very young – no more than 30. TRACY: It’s the kids! LINDSAY: We are talking about A Midsummer Night’s Dream and taking a production from beginning to end. What has been your relationship with Shakespeare?