Day Three: Putting it all together

The third, and final full day of our trip began with some free time to explore Stratford. Students got souvenirs, and even serenaded a group of Americans doing a scavenger hunt with an impromptu rendition of "Baby" by Stratford's own Justin Bieber. Take a look at the video below:

After lunch, we went to our final show of the weekend, Measure for Measure. It was the most intimate show we saw, and we enjoyed the humor as well as the poignancy of the play's message regarding the legitimacy of justice.

The gentlemen of Shakespeare Society

For dinner, we at at Felinni's, in their private Olive Room. The pictures below show our family style dining--perfect for synthesizing all three plays.

Twins

After the meal, we spent time toasting to people--either to the whole group or to certain individuals--who had made some sort of contribution to the trip. Students appreciated their ability to do something that very few students have the opportunity to do (i.e. visit another country), and especially to be able to do it with such a wonderful group of friends, that has grown closer and closer throughout the year. We could not be more proud at their ability to step outside of their comfort zones with a genuine sense of enjoyment.

Students prepare for the secret activity.

They demonstrated this in a surprise midnight hiking activity. After buying 10 flashlights and too many cans of OFF, we all went to a park trail up the road from the Shakespeare Inn that surrounds the Shakespeare Pond. The students were separated into five teams of four and sent to the trailhead to begin their very dark and slightly scary journey to the end of the loop. Mr. Schnall, posted at the halfway point, helped guide students to the end of the loop where Ms. Krieg was ready to receive the relieved Shakespeare Society members. During different points of the walk, there would be loud shrieks of fear and bursts of laughter.

When students returned, reactions were initially mixed -- students were upset that their shoes got dirty, or were scared of being in the pitch black wilderness -- but eventually, students began to grasp the purpose of the activity as a final major opportunity to step out of their comfort zones during the trip.