Westfield High School's theater students received a special acting lesson on March 3, when drama students from Virginia Tech brought a touring version of a show about William Shakespeare to the school. The troupe was invited by Scott Pafumi, an alumnus of Virginia Tech's theater arts program.
The eight actors presented a 50-minute show which sampled many Shakespeare classics such as "Hamlet," "Romeo and Juliet" and "A Midsummer's Night Dream." The audience consisted of theater students and more than 300 students from English and performing arts classes.
After the show, the college students offered a workshop and the Westfield students were eager to work with the older thespians. The Virginia Tech student led an after-school workshop on improvisational skills and taught the younger students some new skills that they can use in the future.
"It was a really fun thing to do," said Jesse Leahy, a senior at Westfield High School. "The Virginia Tech performers presented Shakespeare in a fun and interesting way."