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IN THE CLASSROOM

Students enact 'Romeo and Juliet'

When Charles Carletta, a junior at LaSalle Institute in Troy, was asked about his favorite part of the school, he pointed out the community atmosphere.

"I can communicate with people across the school," he said. "I have friends in every grade. Everyone is very open and social."

Such collaboration appeared in Kevin Calacone's ninth-grade English Regents class, where students were getting a dual lesson in Shakespeare and theater on a recent school day. 

A LaSalle alumnus of the class of 1999, Mr. Calacone knows about everything the school has to offer. Now, he gets to add to it.

"I love getting to know the students both inside and outside of the community," he said as the well-pressed freshmen settled into their seats. The somber expressions on the students' faces told the story: There was a quiz to be taken. But that did not stop them from cracking a joke or two.

After Mr. Calacone repeated question one, "How does Romeo die?" three times, a student sitting in the back of the class chimed in, "What was the question?"
The age-old stalling technique provoked giggles as Mr. Calacone smirked and repeated the question just one more time.

After the quiz, it was on to the business of the day. Students had ended class the previous day with Romeo in a tomb with the corpse of Paris, the opponent he had just slain, and a sleeping Juliet, who only appeared dead. 

It was time to act out the finale.

Since LaSalle is an all-boys' school, Jimmy Kelley took the hit for the rest of his classmates and lay down on two desks, playing the part of Juliet. On the floor next to him lay Kyle Sacks, playing the now-deceased Paris. 

Nick Karpovich stood over both boys, reciting the lines of Romeo with Mr. Calacone translating and making the scene more understandable.

"How did Romeo find out about Juliet's 'death?'" he asked. "Was he just keeping up-to-date with his friends' Twitters?"

The teacher's lighthearted attitude appealed to the students.

"I feel welcomed by all the teachers here," said Dylan MacLeod, a student of Mr. Calacone's English class who enjoyed the performance as a spectator.

Even with the announcement that a test was on the way, the students appeared reassured by their teacher.

"You can handle it," Mr. Calacone said in a casual tone. "You're a trooper."

(04/30/09) [[In-content Ad]]

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