Ruth Cordell, left, director of the speech and theater department at Webb School, marks out a rhythm for, from left, students Kelsey Sutton of Winchester, Harley Walker of Beech Grove, and Helen Bartlett of Murfreesboro. The girls are participating in a Shakespeare camp at the Bell Buckle school and will play fairies in the Tennessee Shakespeare Festival's 'A Midsummer's Night Dream.' (T-G Photo by Mary Reeves) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

She is transferring that passion to her students this summer. The director of the speech and theater department at Webb School, Cordell is holding a Shakespeare class on campus. From dawn to dusk -- and occasionally into darkness -- the students are learning Shakespeare from the ground up. Not only are they studying meter and cadence while delivering his lines, they're learning how to paint sets, make costumes, and do what other grubby chore has to be done to get the show ready.

"Yesterday, we managed to ruin a really cute pair of Harley's pants, painting the set," said Cordell.

Harley Walker, a 15-year-old Webb student from Beech Grove, just laughed.

"I wanted to do it," she said. "It was fun!"

The workshop is also giving the girls a chance to build their professional acting portfolio. All but two of the seven class members will be fairies in the upcoming Tennessee Shakespeare Festival's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," which begins Friday at Webb.

"The other two came on too late to be included in the production, but they are understudies," said Cordell.

An accomplished and successful professional actress for more than 30 years, with appearances in "Alien Nation" and "Ally McBeal," the McMinnville native came back to Tennessee last year to take care of her ailing father. When he died in August, she found herself at loose ends.

"I knew I had to come up with a third act real quick," she said.

She came to Webb for a job interview.

Long-time friend and often co-worker Lane Davies came with her. While she was being interviewed for the department job -- an all-day event that included being grilled by her future students -- Davies and Webb headmaster Albert Cauz were holding a long conversation and a casual conspiracy to bring Shakespeare to Bell Buckle.

Cordell got the job. She also got to help plan the Tennessee Shakespeare Festival, to play Titania -- again -- in "A Midsummer Night's Dream," and she got to have the Shakespeare camp. The camp is based on a similar program with the Kingsmen Shakespeare group in California, which takes place with several sessions all summer long and allows the students to participate in the productions.

Working with the cast and crew of the play has allowed the girls to work with many professionals, including director Lane Davies, who has helped Cordell transform the Webb theater department into something beyond the extracurricular.

"Before, theater just wasn't a priority," said Nicole Kugel of Nashville 17, a rising senior at Webb. "Ever since Lane and Ms. Cordell have been here, it's gotten a higher priority."

Students participating in Webb School's Shakespeare camp are, from left, Kelsey Sutton of Murfreesboro, Harley Walker of Beech Grove, Tea' Phillips of Shelbyville, Lauren Durham of McMinnville, Erin McMahon of Rockvale, Nicole Kugel of Nashville, and Karen Linton of Murfreesboro. Linton, a Webb graduate, is assisting Ruth Cordell, the head of the speech and theater department, with the camp. (T-G Photo by Mary Reeves) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

Teá Phillips of Shelbyville, the daughter of Robin and Trey Phillips, is hardly a novice in the acting business. She just finished shooting a movie called "Sparkles and Tooter." The Shakespeare camp has been a big help, she said, especially the rhythm of the speech.

"Lane created a wonderful booklet," said Cordell. The booklet explains not only how to speak Shakespeare's lines, but why.

"Shakespeare wrote in the language of the heart," she said , demonstrating by thumping out a rhythm on her chest -- tha-THUMP, tha-THUMP- Tha-THUMP. She then demonstrated by reciting lines in the same rhythm.

It's that rhythm that actually makes Shakespeare easier than other works, said Teá.

"You can't just memorize your lines in Shakespeare -- you have to understand them."

"It actually makes it easier to remember your lines," said Erin McMahon, 16, of Rockvale, also a rising senior at Webb.

Transferring that rhythm to a Georgia accent, as needed for Davies' Southern interpretation of "A Midsummer's Night Dream," was actually very easy.

"It created a whole new world of ease, using that rhythm with a Southern dialect, " said Cordell. "Elizabethan English and Southern English are very similar. Vivien Leigh said much the same thing when she was having to learn a Southern accent for 'Gone With the Wind.'"

The girls start their morning with a yoga session -- to prepare the mind and the body for the day, said Cordell. No males signed up for the camp this summer, but they are more than welcome to next year she said.

"Although we might have to change to yoga routines around, Some of the positions can be a little embarrassing," she said, laughing.

At lunch, they watch videos of Shakespeare's works and about Shakespeare's works. The rest of the day is filled with acting exercises, rehearsals, and, yes, helping get the set ready for the production.

With a passion.

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

The show runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday, then again July 4,5 and 6. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show begins at 8 p.m. It will be on the Webb School grounds in Bell Buckle. For more information, to buy tickets, or for directions, visit www.tennesseeshakespearefestival.com.

Premium tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door, festival seating is $5.

Festival seating is on the grass, so bring blankets or lawn chairs. Concessions will be available, but guests are also welcome to bring their own refreshments.