Shakespeare - Food for Thought

Working from authentic 16th century recipes Secondary One scholars created Shakespearean/Elizabethan Era dishes as part of a series of projects exploring the culinary aspects of The Bard's writings.

The recipes were prepared at home and brought to the Theatre of the Mind class to share with peers. Each scholar researched the dish and its elements. The project afforded scholars the opportunity to explain the history of his or her recipe, what connection Shakespeare's plays might have had to the dish, and a chance to "taste" something "new."

“And, most dear actors, eat no onions or garlic, for we are to utter sweet breath; and I do not doubt but to hear them say, it is a sweet comedy. No more words: Away! Go, away!”

                             -  "Henry IV, Pt. II"

For Additional Feast and Preparation Photos 

HYSA Thespian Society - Secondary One "Exploring Shakespeare"

Student Research:  Food Facts

Apple Puffins were a favorite Fall dish usually served to the nobility.

Apples are mentioned in "Shakespeare's Love’s Labour Lost.“

"Ripe as a pomewater, who now hangeth like a jewel.”(Try writing that with spell check).  A pomewater is a juicy and firm apple, and one of England's best apples. They are also mentioned in “The Taming the Shrew.”  “There is little choice in rotten apples.” (I didn’t use rotten apples in my recipe). 

Sugar was very pricey in 16th century England, as it had to be imported. So, most people used honey to sweeten their food.

It is often thought that the stereotype of English people having bad teeth comes from Queen Elizabeth I’s love for sugar. As a royal figure, she had access to the best ingredients and food of the time. Perhaps the queen and her court suffered from their intense love for sugar, as their teeth decayed, yellowed and perhaps even blackened.  Some scholars thought this became a status symbol, and people would purposely blacken their teeth. Another interesting myth about sugar in Elizabethan England was that it had medicinal properties, and could actually clean teeth. When in practice, rubbing the teeth with sugar paste only worsened the condition of the teeth of Englishmen.  

 
Buttered cauliflower, isn't mentioned in any of Shakespeare’s plays, but there is a line that may refer to a cauliflower itself in "Henry IV Part 1," “Nor more shall trenching war channel her fields, Nor bruise her​ flow'rets with the armed hoofs Of hostile paces.”

Spinach Fritters was considered extravagant (some people used one gallon of butter to fry it.) The dish can be made using other vegetables. Spinach fritters were popular because they were easy to make and were useful for filling out menus.  Spinach is thought to have originated in ancient Persia. 

This salad recipe was first published in 1660, around the time when beets where first becoming popular in salads. The Babylonians first used oil and vinegar on greens to make salad, but the Greeks and the Romans spread it across Europe. 

Spices were an expensive luxury. A royal charter issued in 1600 by Queen Elizabeth I created the East India Company.  Slowly, the English saw the rise in affordable spices.

In some cities the word spice became synonymous with poison. Supporting this thought is the quote, "she'll first receive thee, but will spice thy bread with flowery poison."

There are many different types of spice bread, such as orange, cranberry, and apple.

Pippins are dessert applies.  Apple coils can be a source of great

annoyance.

During Shakespeare's time England was becoming a great power and part of its power was based on the diversity of its food stores.

Quince pie is a royalty dish because of its unique taste and the rarity of the quince fruit (now it is not). It was the type of dish that could be served to Queen Elizabeth. The quince is a fruit that grows in western Asia and is harvested during the fall and is said to be very delicious. Fun fact if you don't know what a quince looks like or is it's like the shape of a pear with the skin of a orange and the color of a lemon and the taste of a pear mixed with a apple mixed with a lemon or orange. Basically, it is a acidic pear with the skin of an orange.

Shrewsbury Cakes were first known to be made in the 1500s around the same time William Shakespeare was born.  “Short [meaning rich] as a Shrewsbury cake” was a popular saying in England. 

One of the main ingredients is rosewater – which is created by simmering rose petals until the water turns pink. The first use of cakes and ale with that allusion is made by Sir Toby Belch in William Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night."

Upcoming Theatrical Events

Wednesday, February 21st - HYSA Thespian Society Meeting
Thursday, February 22nd -  A-Level and IGCSE HUM Theatre Fieldtrip to the "The Hobbit"
Friday, February 23rd - HYSA Thespian Society Outreach (Theatre & Robotics )
Saturday, February 24th - Hosting the Regional Poetry Out Loud Competition Wednesday, February 28th - HYSA Thespian Society Meeting "Tech Challenge" Games

For Additional HYSA Theatre Info:  HYSA Thespian Society

IGCSE Drama: Process & Performance

IGCSE Drama (0411) builds on the performance process and the "how to devise original work" tenets established in Honors Actors Lab and Outreach (HALO) and Theatre Studies coursework.  IGCSE Drama (0411) emphasizes and assesses the dramatic process as well as the final performance product. In addition to exploring the how and why facets of theatre, IGCSE Drama students widen their contextual understanding, augment their performance intention skills, devise original dramatic material, and strengthen their concepts of artistic evaluation and the practical application of technical theatre models.

Here are some of the IGCSE Drama students' observations.

How could the application of contrasts (such as movement/stillness, sound/silence, light/darkness etc.) add interest to the final scene in A Doll’s House? 

The final scene in "A Doll’s House" provides readers with one of the most interesting scenes, relationship wise, in theater history. The story not only promotes humanism, but provides hope to feminists, despite it not being the original purpose. True contrast and difference between the opposing characters drives the final argument, and can be further represented in various technical aspects. 

Movement and proxemics is a clear indicator of contrast not only in theatre, but in everyday observance. This then provides the naked, untrained eye of an audience member a clear divide between two opposing characters in a way they can understand. . . Another way of showing contrast is through lighting. Visuals are a large part of human learning and understanding of content. Therefore, when an audience is provided a strong visual to represent a tone or mood, it can also clearly establish a divide between characters. I would flood center stage with light, generally forming a box space around where Helmer is sitting, and provide Nora with her own spotlight. This shows that she is in control of where she goes, and is no longer trapped in a literal box. The rest of the stage would be pitch black, to emphasize the singular importance of the characters, and nothing around them. - Carly

How does the role of Stage Manager differ from the “narrators” portrayed in The Diary of Anne Frank and in The Glass Menagerie?

The Stage Manager from "Our Town" is vastly different from both Tom and Anne because while they’re telling their stories the Stage Manager controls his play. Anne, from "The Diary of Anne Frank," has no control over what will happen. She doesn’t know what is going to happen. She is just narrating her story from her day to day life. Though Tom, from "The Glass Menagerie," knows what is going to happen, because this is his memory and there is no changing what has already happened, he has no control. This is a change from Stage Manager because he seems to be an omnipotent being who happens to be watching the story and interacting within it. - Gia  

What would be your inspiration as the costume designer for Antigone? What era would you select and why?

 

If I were to do the costume design for "Antigone" I would set it in the Ancient Greek times. This is the original time period of the play. The costumes should go back to the root of the play and to where it all began. I think that using the Grecian clothing gives the story a lot of depth. I would have Antigone wear the stala dress in brown. It is a classic Grecian outfit and it fits with Antigone’s character. This style isn’t over the top as it is said she does not wear expensive clothing. It is also shorter and lighter which gives her room for movement. For Ismene, there would be a peplus - in pink. The peplus is a long dress with much detail on it. I feel that it shows a higher class air which is very Ismene. The chiton would be for Antigone and Ismene’s nurse. She is an older woman who works for Antigone and Ismene. She wouldn’t have the most expensive or revealing clothing which is what I believe the chiton to be. Creon would wear expensive clothing made of purples with gold coins chains and tassels. Purple was very hard to get. Only people with money wore it and it is usually connected with kings. Finally, the guards would wear silver armor with red under the armor.- Gia

The inspiration of my costumes for Jean Anouilh’s "Antigone" would be dark common 1940s fashion trends. I would choose the era of the 1940s because that is when the play was originally released,

and was also the time of WW2. It is important that this was the time of WW2 because this play’s main theme is the resistance of the enemy, a theme also seen throughout this time period and the war. The three main costumes to be discussed in relation to the inspiration and the play will be those of Antigone, Ismene and Creon, as I feel those characters can be portrayed with the most creativity. Antigone’s costume would be very bland. Her materials do not mean much to her, compared to the pretty Ismene and royal Creon. She would be wearing a black dress with a scoop neck and simple collar. She would not have shoes on, to show that she does not wish to conform to the rules, and she can do as she pleases. Her legs would be bare, and her hair tied up so that it cannot obstruct her face whatsoever. Antigone has nothing to hide, and should therefore have nothing there to hide her. This could be done by tying the actress’s hair back into a slick ponytail, low enough so it does not swing at anybody in a scene involving movement. Ismene’s costume on the other hand, would be bright and beautiful. She may potentially wear a pink, yellow or green dress, as a direct reference to Antigone’s line, “Now, you wouldn’t recognize it. It’s like a postcard, all pink and green and yellow. You’ll have to get up earlier, if you want to see a world without color.” Her dress may have a low neck, showing skin and promoting her apparent complicit and flirtatious nature. She may have black heels and a ribbon tied in her hair, common of those in the 1940s. Her hair must not be in her face as Antigone’s, as her character should not be interpreted as free-flowing and carefree. Although she is flirtatious, Ismene sticks to the rules and is very sharp. Her hair may be tied up. Another element you could incorporate would be gloves, to show the cleanliness of her hands, similar to her wanted appearance of the cleanliness of her sins. Later, when she re-enters to join Antigone, her hands may be bare, and she may present them to Creon, showing her newfound sin. The final costume is that of Creon’s. Creon shall be costumed as a normal business man in the 1940’s. He may have some boisterous accessories on him such as a nice fedora, or colorful tie. This shall not be taken to the point of his character being viewed as flamboyant in comparison to him just acting lordly. Though this may pertain more to the properties department, I find it suiting that Creon has a cigarette that he carries and lights in the middle of one of his long paragraphs in which Antigone is simply nodding her head to.

These costuming choices are made to draw parallels between the time period in which it was released and the time period Jean Anouilh’s original production was to be set in. It draws parallels between mythological Greek kings and modern-day politicians, putting their unforeseen similar characteristics on display. This makes a statement to the audience that they may consider, therefore strengthening the piece as an Art for Change. - Carly

Words have power. If they are pieced together in a play, they begin to get energy. You can bring sadness and joy through words.  You can sway views and even start the fall of a leader. This is shown in "Antigone" when she talks about “the thing catching.” While she wasn’t physically strong enough to change her fate, her words had power - so much power - that Creon wanted - needed - to silence her and keep her from spreading her power. Words out in the world may not immediately cause change, but they sit and fester until they finally burst free and make a difference. - Gia

Upcoming Theatrical Events

Wednesday, January 17th - On-site Outreach Event - Improvisational Theatre & Robotics 

Friday, January 19th - School-Wide Field Trip to see production of Romeo & Juliet

Wednesday, January 24th - POL Coaching Sessions

Wednesday, January 24th - HYSA Thespian Society Meeting

Friday, January 26th - Final Tier of HYSA's Sixth Annual Poetry Out Loud Competition

Wednesday, January 31st - IGCSE Drama Coursework Recording Session One

Wednesday, January 31st - HYSA Thespian Society Meeting

Saturday, February 3rd - SparkySLAM Event

Friday, February 9th - Performance Outreach Event

HYSA Thespian Society Event Stream

Secondary Performance Experience - Interdisciplinary Learning

H-Y-S-A Radio Broadcasting Network “Bringing You the World Today, The 1940 Way" - an interdisciplinary experience incorporating theatre, language arts, history, technology, and engineering.  

The Background

By 1940, radio had become a part of every American home. It was a nightly tradition to gather as a family around "the wireless" and enjoy "theatre of the mind."  At a time when the world was on the brink of World War II, radio was how people received the news. The contemporary live podcast echoes the Golden Age of Radio's intimate and immediate mass communication style and thus is a wonderful bridge from the past to the present.

The Original Production

Secondary theatre students performed an original "show within a show". Audiences got a glimpse at a small 1940 radio station as it broadcasted its evening line-up -- complete with vintage Foley-style sound effects and commercial breaks.

Providing the backbone of the original script were student written commercials. The commercials were created in the style of Golden Age spots and advertised products specific to the era. 

Iconic radio genres were also parodied with original shows such as the soap opera, “Misery Can’t Wait" and the detective series, “The Adventures of Johnny Martin, Private Eye”. While the play had a strong touch of parody to it, it was crucial the performances were played with a serious intent to capture its full humor. Students learned that effective parody imitates the genre perfectly to achieve the most successful results.    

Favorite Moments

"I liked all of the sound effects in the play." - Kunal

"My favorite moment was "The only toupee that actually screws right onto your skull. Kind of like the lid... to a... a mayonnaise jar." - Sean 

"My favorite sound effect was the fan and the cardboard. I think this was because it was a very smart idea and I think this is something a real radio show would do. My favorite piece of business was the homemade door." - Molly 

"One of my favorite parts of the play was Patty Joan Teller's soap opera. It was hilarious, and was also a comedic cover for the deeper meaning it shared with Emily's monologue later in the play." - Drew 

"I think my favorite line was the line “I heard Timmy was being recast” It was funny, but felt unintended." - Sophia

"My favorite line was when Molly was Beatrice and John put his hand in front of her as she said "I saw the red light of his train" and she pulled his hand down." - Emily 

"Kunal doing the soap opera bit, because it is very funny." - Joshua

"I enjoyed all of it." - John 

Student Reflections

"It shows how much sexism there was in this time. For example my line: "You know you want a cup so make your wife warm one up." Also, Isabel (Andrea)'s lines with Mr. Martin. She seems so helpless and like she is just a woman who can't do anything for herself." - Riley

"I loved the fact that she (Drew) actually started crying. It was very solemn and really made you feel sad. It was very true for some people."- Emily

"The play shows that the American public was somewhat upbeat, but on the verge of change." - Andrew 

"In the 1940s people had a big moment of realization, and it all hit them so quickly so they were shocked and scared." - Anthony

"The American public was very innocent to the fact that they were sort of naïve. They didn't seem to know much about the war. They were also very specific about gender roles. It seemed like girls and boys had specific jobs." - Molly

"Emily's monologue served our play in that it brought the audience back to the sincerity of the time, the 1940s. The 1940s were a time of people on edge, people enduring heartbreak, people enduring death. Emily's monologue talks about how no-one truly appreciates life, which mirrors the horrors committed by many of the countries of the time. These countries valued power, not human life, not art. Edward R. Murrow's monologue speaks to how "this war has not yet produced a poem, or a really popular song." What Murrow's monologue is saying is that perhaps no one is really in control, that no-one can fix what has been done wrong. Altogether, Emily and Edward R. Murrow's monologues bring a deeper feeling to the play, one brimming with mirrored concepts and beautiful realizations." - Drew

For additional production and candid rehearsal photos, check out the HYSA Thespian Society website's Main Stage, Photo Gallery, and Event Stream webpages.

Upcoming Theatrical Events

Friday, December 1st - Outreach Event at Title One School

Friday, December 8th - Annual School-Wide Poetry Out Loud Competition

Thursday, December 14th - The IGCSE Level "Page to Stage" Evening Performance

Friday, December 15th - The IGCSE Level "Page to Stage" AM Performance

Wednesday, December 20th - HYSA Thespian Society Annual Service Project, The Winter "Wrap" Party

HYSA Thespian Society Website