Shakespeare Club and Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) Club recently merged to form one after-school organization, Monsters & Monologues (M&M’s), which focuses on both the fantasy game D&D and Shakespeare’s literature. This change was made in hopes of attracting more membership, as previously, the two original clubs were dwindling in their number of participants. Their first combined meeting was held on Wednesday, Oct. 15.
Past representative of D&D Club, sophomore Isaac Freedman, suggested the idea of combining the two after-school activities as the themes of Dungeons & Dragons can be closely connected to the works of Shakespeare. This means that the club would attract a broader range of participants, as people who are interested in Shakespeare could have a higher chance of also enjoying D&D, potentially prompting them to join the club.
“There’s help with numbers, but there’s [also] a lot of overlap. So hopefully we can spark some interest from D&D people [and] Shakespeare [people],” junior and cabinet member of M&M’s Tessa Ririe said. “Hopefully, [this] can allow Shakespeare people to do D&D without having to join two clubs. [So instead, you] just go to one and be able to fulfill both of your interests.”
M&M’s will focus on both Shakespeare’s works and D&D, although the specific elements of the club have not been determined yet.
“As Shakespeare Club, [we had] a lot more focus on existing literature, and so that was what we mainly would base our activities around,” Ririe said. “But now, with D&D Club being combined with us, there is some more original material and creativity with the club.”
According to junior and M&M’s cabinet member Kali Seiger, the cabinet members are still figuring out the details of how the club will operate, including whether or not the club will have activities combining both Shakespeare’s literature and D&D for all club members to participate in, or if the club will consist of two distinct sections: one that focuses on D&D and the other, which concentrates on Shakespeare’s writings.
M&M’s meets on the first and third Wednesdays of every month in room 251 from 2:25 p.m. to 3:25 p.m. Their next meeting will be on Wednesday, Nov. 5.
