All the world’s a stage, and people are actors, said Shakespeare.
The theatre is certainly a wonderful way to learn about society and its history, and the students of Hoover High School (USA), and Jeonmin High School (South Korea) did just that. Meeting virtually through the IVECA program, these students used classical plays to teach one another about different aspects of their cultures and celebrate their differences and similarities.
The students worked together for an entire semester. Students from Jeonmin introduced Hoover students to Chunhyangjeon, or “The Tale of Chunhyang” one of the best-known love stories and folktales in Korean history. Students from Hoover shared Shakespeare’s Hamlet with their counterparts at Jeonmin. Students analyzed the plays and stories and shared their own perspectives which inspired wonderful discussions and opportunities for self-reflection.
Not only were they able to learn about their partners’ classical plays and folk tales, but students also learned more about plays belonging to different cultures by comparing them with those of their partners. The project helped participants better realize and identify the differences and similarities between the theatrical productions in the West and in Korea.