What is Shakespearean Drama?
His drama plays are classified into three genres, namely tragedy, history, and comedy. Most of them appeared in print as a series of quartos, which are smaller, and half the size of a book. They are translated into different languages and continually being performed all around the world.
Among his famous tragedy plays are Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello and King Lear. Some of his famous comedy plays include The First Folio, Merchant of Venice, The Tempest and Twelfth Night. And lastly, his history plays includes Richard III and Henry V. ( Credits from Wikipedia Shakespeare’s plays )
How does Shakespearean Drama help boost the social skills of children with autism?
Shakespearean Drama helps boost the social skills of autistic children in a variety of ways. It is effective, as any other therapeutic approaches for children with autism. In fact, participating in a drama play like Shakespearean drama is like having a therapy itself.
It is a combination of all of the following therapeutic approaches:
Speech and Language
Autistic verbal children are taught to speak their lines in English for a particular Shakespearean drama play utilizing the rhythm of the iambic pentameter.
Communication and Social Interaction
Verbal and non-verbal autistic children are both taught to communicate and socially express their emotions through imitating and acting out facial expressions of a student actor or mentor in a play. These will help verbal and non-verbal autistic children to identify and understand better the emotions of other people. These will also enable them to react appropriately in certain situations.
Autistic children who are verbal are taught to concentrate and know their lines through constant repetition and memorization. They are also taught how to take turns through learning their scenes and the particular person whom they have to follow next.
Sensory and Gross Motor
Autistic children are taught proper body space and body language through different body motions including hand gestures and feet movements.
These are the ways on how autistic children can boost their social skills. Some of the techniques are based on Kelly Hunter’s Hunter Heartbeat Method, which helped many autistic children progress socially.
Henry V Drama Performance
I felt the excitement inside me the moment I heard that it was time for my son’s school to perform in the Shakespeare School Festival drama play. Their Shakespeare drama play is entitled Henry V.
I was excited and at the same time nervous for it will be the first time for John to perform in front of an audience. The performance was held in Arts Depot, Finchley last 25th of November. I bought three tickets for my husband, my little daughter and myself.
My son has been practicing his performance at home and every Monday afternoons at school for almost a month. He told me that he has to memorize two lines in the script, which was quite easy to remember as long as he won’t feel nervous on the day of his performance.
His role was Montjoy, the French Herald who delivers messages to King Henry V. I saw him practiced his lines at home without body movements and facial expressions.
But he was totally different on the actual day of his performance. I saw him interact socially with his peers with full body movements, eye contact, and facial expressions. He knew his lines and the time for his turn to speak. He was a totally different person on stage.
I felt his excitement to act and to internalize the character of Montjoy. Although a bit nervous, he managed to deliver the message to King Henry V in a high tone, which was enough for all of us to hear.
The battle scenes were done gracefully in slow motion. John’s body movements were synchronous with the background music.
John did his best and made us all proud. He proved to himself that he could act and blend well with his peers.
He enjoyed every bit of their performance and was looking forward to joining again for another Shakespearean drama play next year.
If you want to boost the social skills of your autistic child, try to enroll him in a Shakespearean drama club. You would be surprised of how fast your child could progress. And if you are looking for a wonderful book that will give you ideas on how to apply Shakespearean drama by the use of sensory games to help your autistic child, you may want to buy Shakespeare’s Heartbeat.
Hope you find this post on how Shakespearean Drama boosted my son’s social skills useful. If you have any questions, suggestions, and recommendations, please feel free to leave your comments below.