Shakespeare High

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.