2025 Oberon Shakespeare Festival - Part 1
Columbia, Oberon High School, street theatre

March 20, 2025

Shakespeare isn't just about putting on plays for people to look at, it's also about teaching people about the plays and getting them to get involved. Part of the festival took workshops out to Columbia Aged Care, Oberon High School and even into the street where passersby were invited to quote their favourite speeches.

The reception at Columbia was very enthusiastic and the residents who came along thoroughly enjoyed the experience. A bigger room might be required for the next festival. Jo Bloom and Charles Mayer from Come You Spirits encouraged everyone to read some lines, although little encouragement was needed.

There were two events at Oberon High School, again featuring Jo and Charlie from Come You Spirits. The first was a workshop for the senior drama group where the students were given some coaching in the art of acting. The second consisted of excerpts from Macbeth, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Romeo and Juliet, each performed by only the two professional actors. This was held in the school's gymnasium with a large audience of students. Oberon Matters went along for this performance.

(Note for pedants and those who think that the character representations in filmed versions of plays match the real story - the girl students in years 8-12 were older than Juliet (13) and most of the boys in year 12 would have been older than Romeo (17). Remember the hysteria about 12-year-old Jodie Foster in Taxi Driver? Dame Joan Sutherland said that she always felt weird playing Juliet in the opera Roméo et Juliette.)

See also: Oberon High School's comments

During the morning of Saturday, March 15, a street performance happened outside the Malachi Gilmore Hall to encourage people to come to that night's performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Oberon Common. Oberon Matters made it there for an excerpt from the night's play (but missed the tension caused by Hamlet waving a sword around in the street). 

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Part 2 - The Dinner