Flint Hill is Bard Bus Bound
Do you appreciate the performing arts? Are you a junior or senior who loves Shakespeare? Are you looking for an opportunity to experience professional theater in D.C.? Well, look no further than Flint Hill’s annual Bard Bus field trip! Every school year in the Fall, the English department hosts an optional fully-funded field trip to the Folger Shakespeare Theater to watch a live performance of a Shakespeare play. It is important to note that this field trip is exclusively for Juniors and Seniors and operates on a first-come, first-serve basis. Specifically, the first 30 upperclassmen to turn in a permission slip are guaranteed a ticket. However, those who sign up past capacity are not out of luck! They will be placed on a waiting list and may still be able to attend if a student drops out of the trip.
The Bard Bus is always a blast, and those who have previously attended the trip speak fondly of their experience. Senior Caroline Hinrichs, who got to see A Winter’s Tale with her AP Language and Composition class last year, said “I loved going on the Bard Bus as it was one of the few field trips I got to go on last year. It was also super fun to be surrounded by other students who were really excited about Shakespeare and specifically opted into the trip out of interest.” Senior Sofia Kazembe, who attended the trip with Hinrichs, also made glowing remarks about her time on the trip: “It was honestly really cool to see a play we had been analyzing in English class come to life on stage!” In fact, Kazembe loved Bard Bus so much last year that she will be attending the field trip once again next week.
For students interested in this year’s trip, the Folger Shakespeare Theater will be putting on a production of The Comedy of Errors. This play follows two chaotic pairs of identical twins who were separated from their respective siblings in a shipwreck. Afterward, a comedic journey begins as the twins work together to find their other halves. While sign-ups have already begun, it is not too late to grab a spot on the waiting list to attend the trip. The Bard Bus will be making its way up to D.C. next Tuesday, October 8th. English Faculty members Dr. Maia Schmidt, Ms. Jen McKain, and Dr. Mike Anderson will be the chaperones for this year’s journey.
When speaking to Dr. Anderson about why he appreciates the trip, he said, “I think students should be exposed to Shakespeare’s plays beyond the page. It’s very eye-opening to see a production with a full display of costumes, music, and professional actors. My favorite part of the trip is always seeing the students come back and talk about the play, and how seeing Shakespeare on the stage really made everything click for them.”
All in all, the Bard Bus is a wonderful experience for Shakespeare and theater lovers, and it should definitely be on your radar in the future.
