The Grand Valley Shakespeare Festival reaches out to high school

Bard to Go 2004
students

throughout Michigan with its popular touring show, Bard to Go. Each year’s show has a different focus, and scenes from Shakespeare that follow that theme are amalgamated into a 50-minute performance.

Bard to Go returns to take Shakespeare to regional schools with a reworking of the popular Lovestruck. Love is certainly a prevalent theme in many of Shakespeare’s plays, and an enduring source of conflict in dramatic tradition.

Bard to Go 2005

Love is certainly a prevalent theme in many of Shakespeare’s plays, and an enduring source of conflict in dramatic tradition. Bard to Go features five talented university actors performing some of Shakespeare’s most beloved plays, put together in a collage of scenes that explore the many forms that love can take—and the problems it can create! Visiting Professor Ben Cole directs this year’s production which explores the richness of the comedy, the fullness of the tragedy, and the delight of the language, all combined into an approach that will help your students fall in love with Shakespeare! Lovestruck includes sections from the plays Romeo and Juliet, Midsummer, Merchant, Henry VI part I, Henry IV part I, Comedy of Errors, and Hamlet.

Bard to Go 2006

The performances depict Shakespeare’s work in a non-traditional, “hip” fashion appealing to the younger generation while maintaining the integrity of the text and content showing that Shakespeare’s work need not be dry. Sure to enchant audiences with its full-blown comedy, heartfelt romance, and captivating drama, Bard to Go promises to once again present a rollicking and engaging introduction to Shakespeare for 21st century audiences.

Bard to Go is part of the educational outreach programs incorporated into the Grand Valley Shakespeare Festival. Last year, Bard to Go: Kissing and Courting  performed at eight Michigan schools to more than 1450 students.

Bard to Go 2008
 Bard to Go 2008-09 in Italy with Sapperlot Festival Award

Additionally, last season’s Bard to Go traveled to Italy in June, 2009 and performed at the Sapperlot International Amateur Theatre Festival. At the festival, Bard to Go was awarded the Best Performance award, as voted by the other participating productions. Bard to Go’s visit to Italy marked the third time the production has performed internationally, following visits to China in 2008 and Jamaica in 2006.

Bard to Go 2007 Bard to Go 2007-08 at ECNU, Shanghai China

For more information about Bard to Go in China, visit their China page here. 

This year in October and November, Bard to Go: Lovestruck will again bring Shakespeare to regional schools. There will also be a free public performance of Bard to Go to complete this year’s festival events. This performance is always a popular crowd-pleaser most appropriate for middle school ages or above.

  School Performances October 16, 23, 30 and November 6

For information on scheduling school performances, contact Bard to Go Producer Rachel Anderson at 331-8536 or by email at anderach@gvsu.edu.

Click Here to View the Bard to Go Cast

Bard to Go 2007 Photo Gallery

Student Competition Awards Ceremony and Free Public Bard to Go Performance

November 7 at 1 p.m.

Loosemore Auditorium

Robert C. Pew Grand Rapids Campus

The awards ceremony is followed by a Bard to Go performance  and a reception. Bard to Go is always a crowd pleaser and admission is free.
Download the Poster (coming soon)

 

Download Bard to Go 2009 Documents

School's Information Letter
Teacher FAQ
Study Guide (Coming Soon)


Bard to Go text treatment designed by GVSU student Nicholas Law.
  Last Modified Date: September 14, 2009
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