The Redwood Middle School seventh-grader had to play a female part in A Midsummer Night's Dream, re-enacted by teacher Leah Gould's seventh-grade class. This meant he also had to feign a kiss with friend Victor Wong, who played the part of Bottom. And Alex had to squeak out his lines in a female voice.

Gould said she had the boys participate in the activity because women were not allowed to act during the Renaissance.

"It's pretty embarrassing kissing one of your friends," Alex said. "But at least you could tell everyone was laughing during the play. People probably wouldn't have laughed in Shakespeare's time."

Alex said another great part about the play performances June 9, 10, 13 and 14 was getting out of regular classroom work, as the school year was coming to an end. Gould's two core classes of students read a seventh-grade version of the play, a summary of it and later the classic version in Shakespeare's vernacular. They acted an edited version of the play for their classmates and parents.

"In middle school, there's a huge disconnect between the parents being able to be involved, and this is at least one opportunity for them to see what their child in middle school is doing," Gould said.

Core classes incorporate language arts, literature and social studies, so Gould tied all three subjects into the lesson. They learned about how language has evolved, studied Shakespeare, Renaissance folklore and even built model medieval castles.

"I feel that students should be exposed to Shakespeare prior to entering high school when they have to read Romeo and Juliet," Gould said. "I like to give them positive exposure."

The performances of A Midsummer Night's Dream were all student-run. The set, which featured Roman columns and a fairy-filled forest with hanging vines, and the elaborate costumes were also all created by students.

"I had to organize everyone, and tell them when they needed to be where on stage," director Haley Zarrin said.

Gautam Srinivasan, the assistant director, said another important part of his job was keeping everyone motivated and encouraging them. The students also memorized their lines.

"They've got it all down," Gould said.