[etni] Romeo and Juliet/West Side Story

From: "R. Borenstein" <rachcb1@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, <lasha205@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 6 Feb 2009 12:49:58 +0200

After getting assistance yesterday with something I didn't know, I can share
my experience with something I do.
 
A number of years ago, my co-worker and I gave in to pleading to watch the
DeCaprio version of the movie.  After one scene of the movie, my coworker
and I were very uncomfortable having it in an Ulpana. A few minutes later,
the mechanechet (homeroom teacher doesn't fit the bill here) walked in to
call a student and I think if she could have had us fired for bringing such
inappropriate material into the school, she would have.  The dialogue is
word for word from Shakespeare, but the modern setting was not for my
students. (Smoking, the flirting not as subtle as Zeferelli). Needless to
say, we turned it off rather quickly.
 
Since then, I've brought West Side Story and fast forwarded here and there
for time and modesty considerations. Be prepared, you need to prepare your
students. Although the genre of musicals made a small comeback (Chicago..),
most students don't understand the urge to burst into song and dance for no
reason.  They find the high notes and accents hysterical - "Maria" is not a
song they'll be pulling out their guitars to play, but they do want to watch
until the end and there are excellent post-movie discussions to be had. 
 
I've also used the theme of musicals with that level class. Over the course
of the year, I tied them into other texts. ie. There's the section on three
revolutions - I brought the song "Red and Black" from Les Miserables, and
when we got to the portion of Torah reading about Yoseph, I brought one of
the songs from Joseph and his Technicolour Dreamcoat.
 
Rachelle

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[etni] Romeo and Juliet/West Side Story

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