Young Actors Workshop

The Young Actors Workshop is Back!!
The Young Actors’ Workshop will take place on February 8 at 2:00 in the upper Gild Hall.

Groups of students will present scenes from Shakespeare or plays that convey Shakespearian information in a humorous way. There will also be short monologues. Admission is free, although donations are encouraged. There will be a reception following the performances.

As the Shakespeare Gild explores expanding its programs and offerings to further include children and families, we are looking for people to help guide us in new directions. Anyone interested in Shakespeare, theater or youth drama programs is encouraged to contact Katie Donovan @ kkdonovan@gmail.com. No theatrical experience is necessary, but if you have skills in any area or ideas for programs you would like to see, we would especially like to hear from you,

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP

Arden Shakespeare Gild’s Young Actors Workshop is a unique opportunity for kids to speak the speeches actors have been performing for over 400 years – and for good reason, – because it’s the greatest material ever: filled with passion, humor, great insults, beautiful poetry, wit, anger, fear, goofiness, and alliteration.

The workshop started in 1999 as part of our mission to continue the Shakespeare tradition in Arden and train the next generation of Shakespeare actors. We performed a shortened (but not shortened enough) version of Romeo & Juliet, set in a galaxy far away. Sword fights featured Star-Wars-type laser flashlights whose plastic segments flew into the audience once the combat started. The performance was exciting, and we learned a lot. Since then, our annual workshop has concentrated on individual short scenes from a variety of plays; our weapons (if needed in a scene) are both safe and combat-worthy. We accept actors as young as 7 through high school age. And our dream has come true: we have nurtured another generation of Shakespeare lovers.

Many of our young actors have grown into adult roles in our main-stage summer production. Some have continued their involvement in theater through college, and a few act professionally and teach theater in our schools

We strongly encourage you to become a member of the Arden Club, membership is one of the primary sources of revenue to keep this great community resource on its feet and available to everyone. To find out how to join the Arden Club, click here.