Shakespeare High

Year
2011
Country
USA
Duration:
80 mins

Overview

This well-made and energetic film is a worthy addition to the flourishing competition documentary genre as it follows a Shakespeare festival for high-school kids in Southern California. The heart of the event is a competition to see who can perform the best scene from “Macbeth,” “Othello” and “Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Alumni include Richard Dreyfus, Val Kilmer, and Kevin Spacey. Now, the teams are an appealing multicultural mix of affluent white kids, scrappy Latinos and even an all-girls’ school. Directed by Alex Rotaru and produced by Ronnie Planalp, the film has a secondary storyline that parallels the tension of who will win: some of these kids are living on the edge and the boost of being part of theater pulls them through, a point which underscores the filmmakers’ argument that the arts need to be preserved in schools, even in a time of severe budget constraints. Right after the screening, audiences will be treated to a live performance of a Shakespeare scene by several characters in the film.

Production Team

Director
Alex Rotaru

Festival Screenings

Featured in the 2011 Mountainfilm Festival.

Stream Film Online

This film is available online using the following streaming platforms:

We value your privacy
We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience, serve personalized ads or content, and analyze our traffic. By clicking "Allow Cookies", you consent to our use of cookies. For additional details view our Privacy Policy.
Cookie preferences

You can control how your data is used on our website. Learn more below about the cookies we use by reviewing our Privacy Policy.

Your cookie preferences have been saved.