SALISBURY — Fifth- and sixth-grade students at Salisbury Community School performed Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” at Town Hall Theater in Middlebury on Dec. 5. 
The students provided a lot of thoughtful reactions to their experience learning about and performing a play by The Bard. Here is a selection of some of their thoughts: 
“Some things I liked about Shakespeare are how excited you get when you are about to go up and how nervous you are when then you do your lines and scene and you are so happy you did it! Shakespeare has you engage with other people from other schools and gives you great opportunities. It helps you work on normal skills like public speaking and working with your friends. People get so nervous but we just have to encourage them and then they have a great time!” 
— Sutton Rubright 
“The things I love about Shakespeare is that it made me feel powerful. I loved the part where we all worked together to make other people feel responsible! I was really nervous when I was about to go on but after I did it I felt like I could do anything! Thank God I practiced because if I didn’t who knows what would have happened. Rehearsing and practicing are really important things to do! The actors lighted up my day every time I saw them.” 
— Cara Bougor 
“I liked having an adrenaline rush right before going on stage and then getting up there and being under the bright lights and screaming out my lines! I also really looked forward to Wednesdays being able to get my part and learn my stage directions and lines. It was an amazing experience!” 
— Abby Andres 
“I loved being on stage, it makes me feel good and I want to do it all over! It’s sad to think it’s all over after all that hard work. Hamlet was awesome for my first year and the costumes were awesome and I can’t wait for next year. I want to learn about all the plays!”