Steward’s April 26 Elizabethan Faire, which took place along the Colonnade, paid homage to the inimitable William Shakespeare. Upper School English Teacher Stephanie Arnold, who organized the carnival-like event for the eleventh year with the help of the English Department, said the Faire was an opportunity to celebrate Shakespeare’s talent as a poet, playwright, and actor and make his works come alive for students. The Faire was also a great way to commemorate the Bard’s birthday: The writer and dramatist was baptized on April 26, 1564.

Students across all divisions explore the wonders of literature throughout their years at Steward, and Shakespeare’s works are an essential part of that exploration. 

At the Faire, a professional herbalist chatted with students about the herbal remedies of the era that are still used today. In addition, Upper Schoolers displayed handmade dioramas inspired by Shakespeare’s writings; a tenth-grade “fortune teller” captivated Faire-goers by “predicting” the future; seventh-graders engaged in staged combat on the lawn (and invited spectators to try their hand at it, too!); fourth-graders charmed visitors with a reading of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 98, “From You I Have Been Absent in the Spring”; and fifth graders proudly showed off their handcrafted models of London’s Globe Theatre.  

Shakespeare-centric arts and crafts, snacks, and music added to the festival-like atmosphere. At the costume table, Spartans giggled as they tried on colorful headwear and posed for photos; and students enthusiastically lined up to create paper crowns, get glittery temporary tattoos, and snack on delicious sweets inspired by the era. Rhys Newton ’25 prepared strawberry tarts and pies (authentic fare during Shakespeare’s time) and served them at the event. 

“I learned a lot about how people ate during the Elizabethan times,” said Rhys of her project. "I really enjoyed seeing everybody learn through the various presentations and displays. I also enjoyed watching Middle and Lower Schoolers play games on the grass with Upper Schoolers. I like when people feel comfortable exploring a new topic, and I feel that the Elizabethan Faire was perfect for that.” 

Ms. Arnold noted, “The Elizabethan Faire is like a potluck; it is so thrilling to see what each of the students brings to help us celebrate and appreciate Shakespeare’s life and the era in which he lived.”