MIHS Drama Spring Play, Shakespeare In Love, Benefits From MISF Grant

Mercer Island, WA, April 26, 2028 – Shakespeare in Love, the Mercer Island High School Drama spring play opens on Thursday, April 27 in the school’s Performing Arts Center.

The production could not be staged without a grant from the Mercer Island Schools Foundation (MISF).

The grant from MISF provided students with two workshops with a guest artist from Seattle Shakespeare. In one of the workshops students were guided by the guest artist in the language, characterization, and world of Shakespeare.

In the second workshop the guest artist educated the two casts performing in the play on stage combat for Shakespearean times and provided them with the choreography to perform the scripted "fights" onstage during the production.

“MIHS Drama is able to thrive as a result of the grant support we receive from MISF,” said MIHS Drama Teacher Daniela Melgar. “Through a series of different workshops, all the Drama students come away with a new set of skills and techniques to apply to their work.”

Tickets for 'Shakespeare In Love' are now on sale

MIHS Improv students have also benefited from a MISF grant this school year. Students have grown in their ability to create characters and respond to each other in the moment as a result of a workshop with a guest artist from Youth Theatre Northwest. This guest artist has helped students learn to listen, react, and collaborate with each other.

A third grant from MISF gave students the opportunity to collaborate with a guest artist from Japan, who performs the Japanese storytelling tradition, Kamishibai.

“This workshop is a very unique opportunity. Our guest artist is flying in from Japan to work with students around King County, introducing them to his important and unique version of Japanese street storytelling. Not only do they get to watch him perform it, they then get to create their own version of a story,” said Melgar.

The Mercer Island Schools Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public service, non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing and improving the quality of education provided to ALL Mercer Island School District students by obtaining contributions for the public schools.

Started in 1981, the Foundation has raised over $26 million thanks to the generous community.

Since its founding, the Foundation has become the catalyst for the Mercer Island community to guarantee every teacher has access to the most up-to-date, innovative educational materials that guarantee exceptional teaching and learning experiences for every student.

The tremendous success of the organization lies in the simple fact that the Mercer Island Schools Foundation was born in a community that places value on quality education. Learn more about the impact of our community’s commitment to education.