Upper School Students Perform Gender Fluid Production of Romeo and Juliet
Shipley's Performing Arts Department debuted a modern spin on the Shakespeare classic Romeo and Juliet on November 22-24. The production featured gender-fluid casting, three contemporary dances, on-stage fight scenes, and modern clothing.
In making the casting gender fluid, the theatre students were able to put explore untraditional plotlines during the performance. All of the characters played by female actors were female characters, thus the Montague Gang was portrayed as a skater girl gang. Mercutio was also played by a female student, so it was explored whether Mercutio is in love with Romeo, and Tybalt was cast as female as well, which made the fight scenes entirely female, therefore altering the fight choreography. While the original play features Ladies Montague and Capulet and their spouses, in keeping with the modern theme, Shipley’s performance portrayed Lady Montague as a single mother.
In addition to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in a classical theatre performance, modernizing Romeo and Julie through dance, music and costume made the performance much easier for an audience to understand, while still honoring the centuries-old play.
In April 2022, artist Peter Makela ’04 will travel to Nepal as a Fulbright Scholar. He’ll spend 10 months in the Kathmandu Valley pursuing his project, “The Radiant Emptiness of Space: Madhyamaka and Contemplative Perception,” while studying Madhyamaka philosophy at Rangjung Yeshe University, the world’s preeminent English-speaking Buddhist university. Learn more about Makela and his work.
“I’m not teaching drawing, painting, or printmaking. I’m teaching creative problem-solving,” says Upper School art teacher Meredith Turner. “My students may never draw, paint, or make a print again, but they’ll have to represent themselves both visually and verbally in the workplace. They’ll have to be willing to take risks, try new things, and make mistakes along the way in order to solve problems.”
Shipley senior Emma Lo has been recognized as a 2021 National YoungArts Foundation Winner in Classical Music (Piano). Through a rigorous audition process, she joins over 600of the most accomplished young visual, literary, and performing artists from across the country.
West Collection: Recent Acquisitions of Diverse Voices This exhibition focuses on nine visual artists who through their work are commenting on world issues ranging from the climate crisis, immigration and migration, and exposing human rights violations.
The Shipley School Performing Arts Department will present Beautiful Trouble to audiences everywhere on Friday, November 20 at 7:30 pm via the School's YouTube channel. The production replaces the traditional Fall Play and is a performance protest piece comprised of scenes, monologues, poetry, short films, and more. Beautiful Trouble hopes to raise awareness for issues that matter to students.
On Thursday, May 28 the Upper School virtually held their annual Closing Awards Ceremony. The Closing Awards celebrates student achievement in leadership, academics, and athletics. See the list of award recipients and descriptions of each award.
Eighth grader Aidan Peterson is living Shipley's mission of Compassionate Participation in the World. Since many of his concerts were canceled due to COVID-19, he recently played a "front porch" concert for an elderly couple in Bryn Mawr.
Shipley violinist Emma Lo ’21 recently participated in the PMEA (Pennsylvania Music Educators Association) District 11 Orchestra Festival and through a rigorous audition process, earned a seat at the Region VI Orchestra Festival.
Shipley violinist Saakshi Navile ’19 was selected to play in the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) 2018 All-National Honor Symphony Orchestra Ensemble. She is the first Shipley student to achieve this distinction.
Shipley Sixth-grader Annabella Asimos was selected to sing in the OAKE (Organization of American Kodaly Educators) National Youth Choir for the second year in a row.
During this February’s All School Assembly, Shipley’s 6th Grade School Choir performed “You Are Courageous to Me,” an original song with music and lyrics by Sarah Shoumer ’23, a new student at Shipley this year. In this post, Sarah tells us how she took her song from the page to the stage.
Two Shipley fifth graders, Elle Miller and Annabella Asimos, were recently selected to the OAKE (Organization of American Kodaly Educator’s) National Children’s Choir.
The Shipley School is a private, coeducational day school for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade students, located in Bryn Mawr, PA. Through our commitment to educational excellence, we develop within each student a love of learning and a desire for compassionate participation in the world.