Shakespeare High

Each year a wide cross-section of high school students prepare for the Drama Teachers Association of Southern California Shakespeare Competition. This lively documentary follows the ups and downs of many of the participants of this annual tournament.

Luminaries of the program include Kevin Spacey, Sally Field, and Richard Dreyfus as alumni (in fact, Spacey and actress Mare Winningham make an appearance to give some of the teens a pep talk). The tournament is team building at its finest, with teams composed of a multicultural mix of students. The tension of the competition drives the film, but so does the message that this event—and theater—is truly saving the lives of many of the at-risk students involved. The film underscores the necessity of an arts curriculum in schools and gives concrete examples of its effectiveness in changing young people’s lives and keeping them engaged and in school. (80 mins., digital video)