As I mentioned in an earlier post, this past year involved many exciting projects for me. One in particular I’d like to share here was done in conjunction with Anne Marino, a social worker/actress/mom/community mobilizer/incredible gal pal I’ve known for several years.

We had a group of middle school girls examine Hamlet with a critical eye. So many of the implicit and explict messages for girls in this play have stood the test of time: Ophelia betrayed, backstabbed, and bewildered were emotions these young women readily identified with. Our “rewrite,” Danish Dreams, was performed in April 2006. Anne and I hope it will soon be on DVD, along with a curriculum that other schools can use.

Watching the movie and reading the play were only part of the girls’ experience: processing how young women then and now live in this world was key. We used a variety of experiential activities (think Ophelia Jeopardy!) that really engaged these young women.

In the end, we truly turned Ophelia “upside down” and gave her a happier ending.