Program/Grant: Shakespeare in American Communities: Schools

In Theatre for a New Audience’s (TFANA) World Theatre Project arts education residency, students engage in an in-depth study of a Shakespeare play and attend student matinee performances of TFANA’s professional production. The program will serve approximately 1,100 students and teachers in grades 5 to 12 in 10 underserved New York City Public Schools.

A touring production to schools of "Much Ado About Nothing", highlighting what happens when we allow gossip or misinterpretation of facts to lead our lives. This will be targeted to a 13-18 year-old-population, and coincides with our Free summer production of "Love's Labors Lost" (July)

Since 1978, Theatricum Botanicum has performed Shakespeare's plays for primary and secondary school audiences from LA County. In 2024-25, through field trips and school assemblies, students will experience professional productions of the plays, living history presentations with actors portraying William Shakespeare and Queen Elizabeth, and theatre workshops led by Theatricum's teaching artists.

The Center for the Arts, "The Center," will tour a production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" to local schools in socio-economically disadvantaged areas in our rural, remote community. The production will be interactive with audience participation and include twelve actors that would tour to middle schools.

The Great Nordic Shakespeare Festival in Ely, MN is a month-long event featuring one Shakespearean play and one contrasting contemporary production. Through free youth access, tours to schools, and educational workshops, our goal is to make Shakespeare's work accessible to rural and low-income households of Northern Minnesota, nurturing a lasting love for the Bard's legacy in our community.

The Rose Theater will provide a one-hour touring production of Romeo & Juliet for Freshmen in seven Nebraska urban and rural high schools and one community location. Following the play, we will lead an optional post-show workshop for English and Drama students. The Rose is committed to a standards-based approach, ensuring that our time spent in schools supports the work done by educators.

The PSF Linny Fowler WillPower Tour is a fully professional touring production to schools of a Shakespeare play produced with full set, costume and sound designs. The core purpose of WillPower is to turn on young minds to the power of Shakespeare's language through live performance and workshops. PSF's summer season will also feature live professional performances of Shakespeare's works.

Portland Center Stage (Portland, OR) will produce Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night," helmed by company Artistic Director Marissa Wolf, with 31 performances scheduled from November 23 to December 24, 2024 on The Armory's U.S. Bank Main Stage. Educational activities surrounding the production will include two-to-three student matinees, free backstage tours, free workshops, and post-performance Q&As.

Quintessence will produce ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA with education activities focused on Shakespeare and history for 15 middle/high schools in NW Phila. Two rival leaders fall into romantic passion so great it destroys both their kingdoms: Clear verse speaking, modern dress, a bare stage, and Shakespeare's most cinematic, romantic poetry will transport students to North Africa for a political thriller.

The Colorado Shakespeare Festival will perform a 45-minute Much Ado About Nothing at schools across Colorado as part of a series highlighting patterns of violence in Shakespeare. Post-show workshops are informed by violence prevention research and based in theatre exercises that build empathy, interpersonal skills, and collaboration--all key elements of healthy relationships and safe communities.