King School: Stamford, CT, USA

Red Bull Theater’s Sardanapalus & Global Watch Party Review

By Daniel Block, King School English Department Chair

During lunchtime on October 29th, King School hosted a watch party for the Red Bull Theater’s recorded production of Sardanapalus. The event was held in the Upper School’s Library Learning Commons where many students gather either both or after they eat lunch.

Some students attended because their teachers encouraged them while others paused to watch out of curiosity. The goal of the watch party was to create an opportunity for students to encounter Byron’s writing. Rather than aiming for completeness or full comprehension, the event invited students to sample the production and form an initial impression.

Two groups of students read along with printed copies of Sardanapalus while they watched. Others listened attentively as I provided context and a brief summary of the plot. One student shared that she wanted to attend because her mother had studied Byron in college.

Overall, King’s Sardanapalus watch party succeeded in introducing students to a significant work of Romantic-era literary culture. Hopefully, the exposure will plant a seed that bears fruit when King’s high school students have the opportunity to take a Romanticism course in college.