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‘A Town Divided’ educational film sparks powerful student discussions

In February of 2020, the Southern Shakespeare Company made a serendipitous decision. They’d been presenting “A Town Divided,” an original interpretation of “Romeo and Juliet,” for live audiences of students since 2017 and they wanted…

In February of 2020, the Southern Shakespeare Company made a serendipitous decision. They’d been presenting “A Town Divided,” an original interpretation of “Romeo and Juliet,” for live audiences of students since 2017 and they wanted to capture it on film. A month after the recording was made, all live theater shut down.  

“In the fall, when it was evident that we definitely would not be doing it live for students in 2021, we decided to create a fully formed education program surrounding the recording. We created a completely digital option for our schools,” said Robin Jackson.

As the education and outreach director for the Southern Shakespeare Company and the co-director of the organization’s junior company, The Bardlings, Jackson got to work making the “A Town Divided” experience accessible in the era of COVID. 

The play had already gone through a long incubation period. Several playwrights working collaboratively sought to examine the racial divide in our city in an authentic way. “The stories are taken directly from interviews with Tallahassee locals who really formed the story for the writers,” explained Jackson.

Though “A Town Divided” was modeled on a play written more than 400 years ago, the themes in “Romeo and Juliet” remain relevant. This new interpretation offers a way to teach Shakespeare in contemporary times and opens a dialogue about difficult topics.

Read the rest of the story by visiting the Tallahassee Democrat

or read more by downloading the article here.