Berkeley College Hosts Shakespeare LIVE! Production of 'Romeo and Juliet' during Valentine's Week
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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2019 |
Contact: Ilene Greenfield Director of Media Relations 973-278-5400, ext. 1-5122 igl@BerkeleyCollege.edu |
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BERKELEY COLLEGE HOSTS SHAKESPEARE LIVE! PRODUCTION OF ‘ROMEO AND JULIET’ DURING VALENTINE’S WEEK |
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The stage became the classroom for dozens of Berkeley College students, who viewed a performance of “Romeo and Juliet” during Valentine’s week. The show was presented by The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey at Berkeley College in Woodland Park, NJ, on February 15, 2019. Students in the Berkeley College Honors Program will complete assignments related to the production.
“The performance brought the play to life for us,” said Mileidy Ortega of Plainfield, a Berkeley College student in the Honors Writing through Literature class. “The actors put so much emotion into it.”
Ms. Ortega and other Honors classes are studying tragic heroes and heroines, systematic oppression, and discourses of race, gender and politics. Students Rose Rosado of Linden and Angelica Nono of North Plainfield said the performance helped them better understand the scenes that they will act out in the classroom.
“Seeing the story live was more emotional than reading it in a book or watching a movie,” Ms. Rosado said. “You could see the agony on their faces.”
Photo Caption: Students in the Berkeley College Honors Program ask questions following the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey performance of “Romeo and Juliet.” The students will complete assignments related to the performance.
Following the performance, Berkeley College students asked questions about the actors’ preparation and motivations, as well as their abilities to memorize Early Modern English in iambic pentameter.
“Shakespeare was not meant to be read – it was meant to be heard by an audience,” Jackson Knight Pierce, the actor who played Lord Capulet, told the students. “If you’re having trouble reading the words, read them out loud. Like with music, it’s easier to focus on the beat.”
The Berkeley College Honors Program offers a selective, interdisciplinary, and seminar-based educational opportunity to high-achieving students in New Jersey, New York and online.
“The week of Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to experience the most famous and tragic love story of all times, ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ by William Shakespeare,” said Donald Kieffer, PhD, Dean, Berkeley College School of Liberal Arts. “As our students study the characteristics of a tragic hero and heroine, as well as discourses centered on family, social class and political alliances, The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey brought our studies to life on stage.
Since its inception in 1997, the Shakespeare LIVE! educational touring company has performed for more than 600,000 students in New Jersey, New York, and beyond.
Photo Caption: Actors from The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey perform “Romeo and Juliet” at Berkeley College in Woodland Park, NJ on February 15, 2019. Honors students will complete assignments related to the performance.
About Berkeley College
A leader in providing career-focused education since 1931, Berkeley College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and enrolls more than 7,000 students – including more than 350 international students – in its Master’s, Bachelor’s and Associate’s degree and Certificate programs. Students can study in more than 20 career fields. Berkeley College is comprised of the Larry L. Luing School of Business®, the School of Professional Studies, the School of Health Studies, and the School of Liberal Arts. The School of Graduate Studies offers an MBA in Management online and in Woodland Park, NJ.
Berkeley College has four New Jersey campuses – Newark, Paramus, Woodbridge and Woodland Park. In New York there are three campuses – Midtown Manhattan, Brooklyn and White Plains. Berkeley College Online® serves a global population. For six consecutive years, U.S. News & World Report has named Berkeley College among the Best Colleges for Online Bachelor’s Programs and among the Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans. The website address is www.BerkeleyCollege.edu.
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