Young Actors Workshop

The Young Actors Workshop is canceled this year.  Unfortunately, we did not get enough kids signed up to make it feasible to conduct the workshop this year. Thank you to all who volunteered their support and to the parents who signed up their kids, we're as disappointed as you are.

We'll try again next year when, hopefully, conditions are more suitable and everyone feels better about participating in group events.

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 6 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

All actors must be members of the Arden Club. But it’s easy and inexpensive for a family to join. There are junior Arden Club memberships and workshop scholarships available too. To find out how to join the Arden Club, click here.