Teaching Will: What Shakespeare and 10 Kids Gave Me that Hollywood Couldn't [Paperback]

What happens when an idealist volunteers to introduce Shakespeare to a group of unruly kids? Bedlam. Tears. And hard lessons learned. Convinced that children can relate to Shakespeare's themes???power, revenge, love???Mel Ryane launches The Shakespeare Club at a public school.Teaching Willis a riotous cautionary tale of high hopes and goodwill crashing into the realities of classroom chaos.

Every week Mel encounters unexpected comedy and drama as she and the children struggle toward staging a production ofA Midsummer Night's Dream. Woven through this fish-out-of-water tale is Mel's own story of her childhood aspirations, her acting identity, and the heartbreaking end of her onstage career.

In the schoolyard, Mel finds herself embroiled in jealousy and betrayal worthy of Shakespeare's plots. Fits of laughter alternate with wiping noses as she and the kids discover a surprising truth: they need each other if they want to face an audience and triumph.Teaching Willis an uplifting story of empowerment for dreamers and realists alike.

???In her lively memoir reaching back to moments in her own acting career, Ryane manages both to be funny and not take herself too seriously, though the respect she instilled in the children is remarkable: respect for her direction, for each other, and for the genius of Shakespeare.??? ???Publisher???s Weekly???Teaching Willis the entertaining story of a Hollywood actor in a public school as opposed to being one of many books written by teaching professionals.??? By entwining the weekly experiences of The Shakespeare Club with the author's own journey from child to adult, the book reminds the reader that in parenting, teaching, and coaching children, it is helpful for adults to recall their own vivid and often heartbreaking experiences of being a child.??? The book addresses the reality of lost dreams.???Teaching Willincludes teaching tips learned on the job by the author.??? The book is elƒ5