The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1920-04-16
SHAKESPEARE DAY
IN THE SCHOOLS

: n o s throughout the United
81 ates are again planning to observe
April % Shakespeare day. accord
ing to reports received by the bureau
Of education. department of the IN
terror, which has just issued an Official
publication containing suggestions for
appropriate school celebrations.
Acting of Shakespeare plays by tae
children themselves is advocated by
the bureaus publication as one OF the
best ways to celebrate the day.
My ideal of a Shakespeare day,
says II. G. Wells. the novelist. who is
quoted in the bureau bulletin, lis
day on which. in every school, Shakes
peran plays are acted by the chill
dren themselves The one person, the
only person, who ought to speak for
Shakespeare on Shakespeare day IS
Shakespeare himself. SY let Shakes
peare be read and played for our
Shakespeare day celebration in the
schools. and let the rest of us keep
silence while he speaks"
Whatever plans are made for
Shakespeare celebrations in school
they should be pleasurabe, asserts
! Professor Caroline r f, Spurgeon, of
Bedford college London, now on
lecture tour IN the United States,
Let the day be one of enjoyment
she says The reason why children
do have an unpleasant association
with Shakespeare is that the study OF
him is made iifelcss and dull. He is
not To them the most laughter-lovinS,
the most sym pathetic Of human be-
ings. but he IL some one who wrote
d large number Of intolorable notes
in order to explain he obscure words
and strange phrases and faults of
grammar and spelling IN which he
h1Er E..tss ~t, a !,
the institution Of day like this
might sweep away some OF these mis-
conceptions If IL were arranged SO
as 10 be living thing in which there
would be acting and singing the
children themselves taking part"
Celebration of the Shakespeare an
niversary offers particularly good
opportunity. PerciVai Chabb points
out. for co-ordinating work done in
group of interrelated subjects Lit
erature, music, art. tha handicrafts
such as shop work and >ewing) and
physical education, he says are all in
VOWED in an adequate Shakespeare
celebration.
A new emphasis IN needed IN liter
airy work upon the fact that litera
ture is primarily something 10 he
heard" SAYS Professor Chubb; some
thing acclaimed or sung or dramati-
caIly interpreted, and not merely a
matter Of print. School music should
become more deliberately The hand
maid of literature. amt ettettiti tn, ttitlt-
very many more Of the siueable lyrics
memorized and studied in the Eng
lish classes tnan IS commonly the
case. Physical education, which
everywhere includes the dance ,both
folk dances and Interpretive dances.
or dance drama1. should have rela
ton through the words IF old singing
games and the delightful old tunes,
with literature and music il should
be utilized both Tor school celebra-
tons and for social groups outside
the SchooI--in the home, the club and
the Sunday school The art and The
handicrafts of the annual training de
partments may well profit by the i'm d
petus which is gained hY directing
them toward Immediately practical
and enjoyable uses,
The bureau bulletin gives lists OF
books where teachers may fad help
full suggestions for presenting plays
and pageants suitable 70 Shakespeare
day. The further suggestion Is made
that one way for schools {. remem-
Der Shakespear is TO have school
garden plots, indoor boxes or home
garden beds in which the flowers
named by Shakespeare can be grown"