Photo submitted to Times Observer Warren County School District students learn about using expressive body language with the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival Wednesday at Struthers Library Theatre.

Warren County School District juniors and seniors ventured to the Struthers Library Theatre for a theater experience — an abridged version of Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

“The Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival is a professional theater company on the campus of DeSales University which produces an abbreviated version of Shakespeare’s works and offers workshops,” School District Academic Coach Amy O’Donnell said. “It enhances student comprehension of the play by seeing another interpretation consisting of more direct dialogue and character interaction including verbal use of dialect.”

Following the production, some students stayed for workshops.

“Students who remained at the theater after the show had the privilege of meeting the actors and actresses as well as participating in both a verbal and physical workshop lead by the characters from the production,” O’Donnell said. “Students experienced a variety of performance characteristics including interpretation of vibrant language, using the body as an expressive tool, exploring the rhetoric and persuasion tactics in speeches, and basic safety principals and techniques for creating the illusion of violence.”

The event was one intended to help create well-rounded students and give those with a particular interest in theater a deeper experience.

As Polonius would say, “Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice.”

“Although there are stage productions in our area, not all students would necessarily choose to attend,” O’Donnell said. “It is important to encourage exposure to various curricular possibilities. Artistic opportunities create well-rounded students.”