O-School Team Takes Second Place at Shakespeare Slam

The creative talents of O-School students were, once again, on full display on Monday evening, December 9, at the annual Shakespeare Slam. The O-School student team of six was one of 6 teams, out of a total of 23, to earn a spot in the finals. Their performance earned them second at the event, which was held at the impressive Chicago Shakespeare Theater located at Chicago’s Navy Pier. All six of the performers were new to the competition and were coached by two teachers and a peer, who was a member of the 2022 O-School team that placed second.  

“We couldn’t be any prouder of our 2024 O-School Shakespeare Slam Team. The students gave stunning performances. Credit also goes to Geoff Keegstra, a teacher coach and our student peer coach, who was able to bring her experience to the group,” said Michelle Pegram, O-School Special Education Teacher and Slam Team Coach. “They were amazing. They trusted each other, trusted themselves, and brought the emotion and power of the scene to the audience.” 

To earn a spot in the finals, the O-School Slam Team staged two five-minute scenes from Shakespeare plays at the November 16 regional competition held at Taft High School. One scene required the performers to use language from a Midsummer Night's Dream and pull lines of their choosing to build their own scene while the other is a scene chosen from any of Shakespeare’s plays, cut to no more than five minutes, and performed as written. During the regional competition, the O-School Slam Team competed against 10 other Chicago area high schools to earn their place in the finals with their performance of the cauldron scene from Macbeth.  

“We are incredibly proud of the way the team pulled together this year. The students spent time outside of school to practice, and took risks to create an incredible dramatic scene,” said Pegram. “Each performer has truly met all the goals of the Shakespeare Slam—to be seen, to be heard, to take risks, to play as an ensemble, and to be creative.” 

While the O-School team placed second in this year’s finals, the biggest prize of all is to be able to perform on the stage at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. The O-School

All performances were professionally recorded and will be available through the Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s website and on YouTube within the next few weeks. Kudos to our very talented, extremely creative, and energetic performers.