By Alaina Denean

The Selma Times-Journal

“O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?” A familiar line from William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” rang through the halls at Southside High School Friday. They found Romeo waiting for them in the school’s gymnasium.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Shakespeare Tour made a stop at Southside High School to perform “Romeo and Juliet.”

Southside principal Clarence Jackson said UAB received a grant for the tour, which will put on performances twice this month.

All of the high school students gathered together in the gymnasium to watch the performance.

“[The students] need the exposure. They need to understand what the arts are all about,” Jackson said. “It’s just a good experience. We don’t have to set up a field trip. This is free, and so it’s a plus for us.”

Jackson said that he is excited to have UAB come, and because the school doesn’t have to pay for travel expenses like they would with a field trip, more students are able to attend.

“The past two years, we got the school improvement grant, and we have actually paid for the Alabama Shakespeare Festival,” Jackson said. “Our kids went, well behaved, and that’s just something that we have continued.”

However, not all students were able to go to Montgomery; the school could only send two bus loads of juniors and seniors.

“To have a performance come to the school, since we’re already at home, and this works right into the instructional day,” Jackson said. “Teachers can actually put this in their lesson plans. So it’s right here. Everybody gets to see it, not just a grade or two,” Jackson said.

He stressed the importance of younger kids getting to experience the arts and said that the sooner they get to the better.

“I think that the earlier you start with exposure is great, because you’re catching them at a younger age,” Jackson said. “We want to start as early as possible.”

Jackson said that if the show is successful, and he is able, he would like to invite Southside Primary and Tipton to watch the second performance on Oct. 17.

Southside has a drama club that continues to grow, and Jackson believes that having UAB students come and perform will allow his students to see if drama is something they would like to pursue in college.

“To have them come here and do this, it’s great,” Jackson said.