Some theatrically inclined West Homer Elementary students last month had their third annual tour to the Homer Senior Center. On April 3, students performed parts from the Prologue, Act I Scene I, and a monologue from Act V Scene IV of “Romeo and Juliet.” They also performed at the West Homer Elementary School’s annual talent show.

Sarah Brewer, who runs the program, said Monday, April 21, that it’s rewarding to work with young students, some of whom have no experience with Shakespeare.

“It’s almost like a foreign language,” she said. “But if we can identify the motivation and the feelings of the characters and the emotions, you’ve got somewhere to start from.”

Brewer said you can see the moment “that light switch kind of flicks on” for the kids, and she loves getting to watch them begin to understand the complicated works on a deeper level.

The program is a collaboration between West Homer Elementary and the Mud Bay Bards of Pier One Theatre. Brewer said the program generally gets started around the beginning of the spring semester and is open to all interested West Homer students.

Local students interested in branching out into theater (or Shakespeare!) can register online for one or all of Pier One Theatre’s summer youth theater camps. You can out more information and register online at pieronetheatre.org/youth-theatre.