Oh Mrs. Fernand, Mrs. Fernand, wherefore art thou going this summer? Where else would a true Shakespearean Theater lover go? The Globe, of course!

Mrs. Mary Fernand, BHS English teacher, possesses an undying passion for Shakespeare’s plays. And now, because of a unique fellowship opportunity this summer, Mrs. Fernand will be traveling to London where only the most dedicated Barders are able to go: London’s Globe Theater.

Mrs. Fernand’s summer travel to Europe will bring her to the most historic building in the world of literature. This experience will allow her to study many works of literature.

The Globe Theater is the location where William Shakespeare’s best-known plays were first produced. The theater is located in the Southwark District of London, and was built by Cuthbert Burbage in 1599.

Although the fellowship will not be able to visit the Globe Theater that Shakespeare originally built because it burned down in 1613, Mrs. Fernand and her fellow fellows will visit the rebuilt Globe to view their beloved plays.

Mrs. Fernand has seen both Macbeth and Hamlet on stage. Of his many masterpieces, she favors Twelfth Night, because Fernand states that it is “one of his best comedies.”

The Bard’s vivid characters have impacted Mrs. Fernand in both her personal life and her teaching. She finds herself identifying with Shakespeare’s most unscrupulous woman: “the ambitious Lady Macbeth — a woman who knows her worth,” says Fernand. It is Lady Macbeth’s strong sense of female empowerment and ceaseless determination that Fernand admires so deeply.

It was these same traits of Lady Macbeth that Mrs. Fernand embodied and assisted her in attaining her fellowship after a lengthy and competitive selection process. Dr. Kevin Smith recognized Mrs. Fernand’s “passion for literature, Shakespeare in particular.” He informed Mrs. Fernand of the possibility of the fellowship, and she instantly took the opportunity. Fernand was selected out of several other candidates from the state of Connecticut.

As the school year is nearing its end, Mrs. Fernand is getting ready to pack her bags and embark on the adventure of a lifetime. While she is sure to have an incredible journey, we hope she doesn’t get lost from her travels like so many other Shakespearean characters.