ROCKET kids have a blast with 'Romeo and Juliet'
"O Romeo, Romeo ..." — Juliet, played by Matilda Hand, ponders during a quiet moment in ROCKET Homeschool Group's production of "Romeo and Juliet." Nineteen kids, ages 5 to 16, performed their version of the play in two performances last week, one at the Florence Farmers Market and another at the Honeyman ballfields.
Eighth Shakespeare performed by homeschool group since 2013
June 8, 2022 — Last week, on May 31 and June 3, the ROCKET Homeschool students put on a production of their version of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.”
On Tuesday, the kids performed at the Florence Farmers Market. On Friday, the show was at the ballfields at Jesse M. Honeyman State Park.
A constant and steady spring rain meant the June 3 performance was a wet one, but the kids in the play didn’t let it dampen their spirits and the play went off without a hitch.
Lucky for those that are averse to such weather conditions, the ROCKET version of the play was quite a bit shorter than the original.
ROCKET organizer Sabrina Hand said, “Words cannot fully express how proud I am of this cast (and crew) this year. It has been an absolute pleasure working with all of these kids, they are amazing and they put on such an amazing play. We loved every minute of it (even the rain).”
Also, anyone in attendance who felt Shakespeare is stale or out-of-touch must have enjoyed the ROCKET version of the play, which had many timely and humorous additions to the original.
There were 19 children in the cast, and each performed exceptionally. They ranged in age from 5 to 16 years old. Each wore a costume, likely handmade by the Hand family.
The ROCKET kids have put on a Shakespeare play every year since 2013, except for the last two years during the pandemic.
ROCKET, which stands for “Rad Oregon Coast Kids Educating Together,” is a local homeschool activity group led by Hand. It is made up of homeschooling families who have chosen to follow non-traditional educational paths.
“We welcome new faces and those who are new to homeschooling,” ROCKET said on its Facebook page. “Combined, we have decades of homeschooling expertise and are happy to help you navigate this sometimes rocky path.”
For more information, contact Sabrina Hand at [email protected].