Every Wednesday, nearly 100 children crowd the floor in the Orem City Library, waiting anxiously to participate in a Shakespeare play presented by the BYU Young Company.

Becky and Joel Wallin, both graduates from BYU, started plays in the library last summer.

"The main thing we want to do is get them familiar with the plot and the characters," Becky Wallin said.

The idea is to translate Shakespeare into language children will understand and have fun with it, Becky Wallin said.

The Wallins choose children from the audience to act out the parts as they narrate it. They whisper lines into the children's ears for them to recite.

"They do a good job keeping true to the story and still making it relevant to the kids," said Cheri Schulzke, an attending mother from Pleasant Grove.

Most of the children attend the show regularly. Melissa Chevrier, from Highland, comes almost every week. She had the opportunity to participant in yesterday's show, and said she learned something from this week's production of "Kind Lear."

"To trust the people you know you can trust," Chevrier said.

Becky Wallin said her favorite part is getting the kids excited about Shakespeare in the future.

"Mine is to have the kids be excited about it and not scared to it before they get to high school and have to read Romeo and Juliet and hate it," Becky Wallin said. "I think if their excited about Shakespeare they'll be excited about other literacy things."

Kathe Homer, an assistant librarian, said they wanted this program because it is aimed toward the older kids. Only children who are out of kindergarten are allowed at the show to decrease distractions and noise.

Homer said they have held reading groups before, but nothing has brought kids in like the plays.

The children know the plots, the characters, the upcoming play and the difference between a comedy and a tragedy, Homer said.

"They really have become much more aware of the Shakespeare plays," Homer said.

The children are not the only ones who benefit from the plays. Joel Wallin said he thinks a lot of parents get a fresh view on Shakespeare as well.

"My favorite part is just having parents who can watch because a lot of these parents also don't know the Shakespeare plays," Joel Wallin said. "It's interesting to see some of the parents really get into it."

The company will move performances to the Provo Library this fall.



Copyright Brigham Young University 7 Aug 2003