Huntington-Codman Summer Theatre Institute presents TWELFTH NIGHT

Huntington Theatre Company's Department of Education and Community Programs and Dorchester's Codman Academy Charter Public School's collaboration, the Huntington-Codman Summer Theatre Institute, will culminate in two public performances of William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night on Thursday, July 27 and Friday, July 28 at 7pm at the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA. The public is invited to the free performances and encouraged to RSVP online.

The Summer Theatre Institute is a free program for Codman students. Through the five-week program, students explore the full theatrical process, extending lessons from the school year in literacy, teamwork, and priority-setting and are paid a modest stipend for participating. Over the past 12 years the Huntington-Codman Summer Theatre Institute has become a valuable resource to Codman students.

"Twelfth Night is so much more than the comedic journey of confused identity and hijinks," says Huntington Interim Co-Director of Education and Twelfth Night Director Meg O'Brien. "In Twelfth Night the conventional and outdated definitions of love, gender, sexuality, and friendship are challenged in delightful ways; throughout the story our characters explore the many ways humans can be their true selves, love each other, and support each other through difficult times. It's no surprise that many of these same themes and issues are still at the forefront of societal debate today. I've loved sharing this play with teenagers in 2017, all of whom are discovering their true selves and what it means to love and be loved."

The program began 12 years ago as a creative response to an increased risk of violence for teens between 4pm - 7pm during the summer. The Summer Theatre Institute provides a safe environment for participants who come from neighborhoods in the Boston area. Students participating in this summer program range from rising sophomores to recent graduates of Codman Academy.

"I enjoy everything about theatre," says three-time participant and recent Codman Academy graduate Shameka Joseph. "When I am on stage I am someone different and the outside world doesn't exist to me. I learn something new every day."

Patrick Germain, a rising sophomore and first-time participant says, "I'm doing the Summer Theatre Institute because it lets me practice the theatre skills I learned during the school year. I like acting because it lets me be myself - both dramatic and funny."

"Acting gives you freedom," says second-time participant and rising senior Tre'Jon Carrasquillo. "It opens doors for me while also giving me a chance to be goofy and not be judged by others."

ABOUT THE HUNTINGTON AND CODMAN ACADEMY CHARTER PUBLIC SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP

The Huntington is a founding partner of Codman Academy Charter Public School and collaborates with Codman year-round to create and teach its innovative, interdisciplinary Humanities curriculum. Now in its 17th year, the partnership with Codman Academy showcases the Huntington's wide-reaching youth, education, and community initiatives.

The program has been recognized locally and nationally as a model for improving urban students' reading, writing, speaking, and presentation skills. The partnership between the Huntington and Codman Academy was awarded the Commonwealth Award, the state's highest award in the arts and culture, by the Massachusetts Cultural Council; Codman Academy is the only public school to receive this recognition.

Through the program, students study poetry, plays, and the playwrights who wrote them, and attend Huntington productions. Additionally, 9th and 10th graders work with Huntington staff and teaching artists two days every month, immersing themselves in the workings of a professional theatre. The partnership engages and stimulates students from neighborhoods often excluded from Boston's dynamic cultural life and enables them to develop both an understanding of and appreciation for the theatre by studying and attending Huntington performances, observing behind-the-scenes activities of the theatre, and participating in hands-on work in the theatre arts.

Thanks in part to the programs designed and administered by the Huntington, 99% of Codman Academy's 10th graders pass the English Language Arts portion of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) exam, a requirement for graduation. Since the first graduating class, 100% of Codman Academy students have been accepted to four-year colleges and universities.

The Huntington Theatre Company's Department of Education and Community Programs is one of the most extensive, impactful, and admired theatre education departments in the country. Over the past 35 years, its nationally recognized programs have served more than 560,000.

To post a comment, you must register and login.