After watching his fifth-grade son perform in "The Taming of the Shrew," Ben Lathrop realized that having learned the play through performance, his son found the experience enjoyable. Moreover, his acting decisions (movements, gestures, vocal inflections) demonstrated that he had at least some understanding of his lines, suggesting that he had genuinely engaged with this difficult text. He would not have accomplished this feat had he been confined to a desk. Inspired by his son's performance as Petruchio, the author changed his approach to teaching Shakespeare and other texts to his high school students. This article examines how he transformed his classes and the feedback he received.