FreeMindsAustin

Free Minds students reflect on the experience of studying Shakespeare

“If someone told me I could understand the words of Shakespeare within a week, I would have called them C-R-A-Z-Y! Not only did I learn to ‘unwrap’ the words of Shakespeare, I enjoyed the characters and history too.”-Donna Mercer

“Seeing the play performed was an absolute joy for me. The Merchant of Venice is the first live play that I have seen in my entire life… it opened up a whole new world for me to experience. Without Free Minds, I would have never taken such a task to heart.”-Angelique Martin

“I found it worth studying because some of the struggles between the characters in The Merchant of Venice are still a part of our society today.”-Juanita Andrade

“Studying this piece of literature has given me permission to elevate my level of thinking and perception on certain things in life. I have no fear or discrimination against things I thought I could not do.”-Tami Blackmon

“Seeing Shakespeare performed allowed me to take a real interest in each character. Instead of reading a book and at the end saying, ‘Oh, that was good!’ and then closing it and shelving it, I can actually put a face, a mood to these characters; I take them with me.”-Candy Gallegos

“The ‘triple threat’ of reading the play, watching the play [on film], and seeing it performed live was a revelation. I now understand The Merchant of Venice more than any other Shakespeare I have ever studied… LOVED IT!”-Tari Jordan

Amplify Austin is a city-wide day of online giving which will take place on from 7 pm March 4 to 7 pm March 5. Central Texas residents are invited to come together to raise $1 for the local non-profits that enrich our city–including Free Minds. To learn more about how you can support Free Minds through Amplify Austin, visit ddce.utexas.edu/freeminds/amplify-austin/.