There are so many fantastic modern interpretations of Shakespearean plays out there, but the one that stands out the most to me is the 1999 movie 10 Things I Hate About You. The movie is a modern interpretation of The Taming of the Shrew, and it would be a fantastic, accessible, hilarious addition to any class teaching that play. There are several parallels throughout the film, the dialogue is witty, and the acting is superb. The movie centres around senior students Kat Stratford and and Patrick Verona as Kat prepares to move across the country to attend post secondary at Sarah Lawrence. As we discuss ways to bring drama into the class, I can’t help thinking this movie would be one of the funnest ways to bring Shakespeare to life.
So many lines from this film have anchored my adolescence. I absolutely love it! It’s recent enough, but also very ‘old school’ that students would recognize actors but love how corny and somewhat foreign the high school experience seems. I mentioned it to some of my students once, and they didn’t know it, but knew of Clueless (which I tend to compare it to). So this could easily be a great opportunity to get them engaged.