Program areas at Shakesperience Productions
School residency programs: Shakesperience designs custom school residency programs. These in-depth theatre-in-education programs for individual schools, after-school programs, camps, and other organizations lead participating students through the process of adapting, rehearsing and performing a play. In anywhere from 5 to 35 sessions, these programs create: teamwork between students, faculty, and theatre professionals opportunities for each individual to develop and display their talents community pride and sense of accomplishment with a final performance outlets for self-expression and self-discovery through all theatre arts student action and character development through the language arts public speaking skill strengthening broad-based curriculum integration increased attendance encouragement to read "enhancement of student character, respect, and self-esteem love of learning and creative curiosity this year, Shakesperience conducted more than 157 sessions of residency programs for well over 4,700 students.
School performances and interactive workshops: in-school performances and interactive workshops are Shakesperience's signature series of in-class programs, designed with several versions for various age and experience levels. Two actors demonstrate a honed teaching style to lead the class through curricular lessons relevant to shakespeare, folklore, mythology, el barrio and social and emotional learning. They empower the students with tools to understand and appreciate classic texts or shakespeare's language as they perform with professional actors right in their classrooms. Together they find the characters and themes relatable to their own lives, fostering a sense of community between educators, students, and teaching artists. Shakesperience also performed dia de los reyes, an original three kings day musical, in many Connecticut schools. This year, Shakesperience performed more than 280 interactive workshops and performances for more than 13,000 teachers and students. .
Summer season: shakespeare in the litchfield hills is an immersive community event culminating in five free family-friendly outdoor "shakespeare in the park" presentations of "romeo & juliet (august 2024)", produced by Shakesperience Productions, Inc. and featuring professional equity actors together with other professionals, students, and amateur performers. Admission is free for this economic-driving and community-building program. The ensemble includes a volunteer steering committee, publicity team, education interns, backstage crew, ushers, wardrobe crew, scenic painters & carpenters, host families, and more. The event is anticipated and publicized by associated programs leading up to the final performances, including lectures, discussions, and fundraisers. 1300 people of all ages joined our audience for free performances they called it "incredibly special," "delightful," "fast paced,- and "world class" 190 households donated before the first performance 14 businesses sponsored and advertised in the program book the committee has scheduled the next shakespeare in litchfield hills, "hamlet", for august 2025.
Other program service accomplishments include acting classes and the fall festival.