On Monday, November 1, The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey's acclaimed educational touring company, Shakespeare LIVE!, will launch a month-long fall tour featuring two of Shakespeare's most beloved plays -- Hamlet: Prince of Denmark and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Among the troupe's audiences will be students at nine economically disadvantaged schools in New Jersey, Connecticut and New York, thanks to a special Shakespeare in American Communites grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Now in its ninth season, Shakespeare LIVE! brings professional actors and guest artist-educators to schools and other venues, where they perform abridged productions of Shakespeare's plays, engage in post-show discussions with students and family audiences, and conduct interactive theatre workshops. The company is renowned for its dynamic, energetic and visually imaginative productions, and for its ability to make Shakespeare's plays appealing and accessible to children as young as eight, while keeping Shakespeare's language intact.
Big Brother meets the Bard in a riveting, 80-minute production of Hamlet, designed especially for grades 7 through 12. As conceived and directed by Brian B. Crowe, who The Star-Ledger called "one of the state's most ingenious directors," Castle Elsinore is transformed into a world of surveillance cameras, hidden tape recorders and watchful eyes -- heightening the play's recurring themes of paranoia and secrecy.
A colorful, one-hour version of Shakespeare's most famous comedy, A Midsummer Night's Dream is brought to life by The Shakespeare Theatre's acclaimed artistic director, Bonnie J. Monte. Fairies on skates and scooters whirl through an enchanted forest, playing mischievous pranks on four young lovers and a band of misfit rustics. This raucous production is a thrilling "first Shakespeare" for children as young as grade 3, and a riotous roller-coaster ride for all ages!
Explains Ms. Monte, "Although the plays are abridged to be performed within a class period, Shakespeare LIVE! prides itself on keeping Shakespeare's text intact. We aim to maintain the clarity of the story and the beauty of his unparalleled language."
She continued, "We are especially thrilled to be touring to middle and elementary schools, because it gives us the opportunity to show younger students how entertaining and witty Shakespeare can be, when they see it performed by talented actors."
As an added bonus, the program enables teachers to fulfill specific New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards in the areas of Visual and Performing Arts, Language Arts Literacy and Social Studies.
The four-week tour will include 30 performances of Hamlet and A Midsummer Night's Dream at schools and performing arts venues throughout New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.
Additional funding for Shakespeare LIVE! is provided by Verizon, the Turrell Fund, the Bailye Family Charitable Foundation, RBC Dain Rauscher, Pfizer, The JP Morgan Chase Foundation, FirstEnergy Foundation, PSE&G and the Van Pelt Foundation.
Shakespeare LIVE! in American Communities
This past April, Shakespeare LIVE! was selected, along with 21 other theatre companies from throughout the nation, to participate in the second phase of the National Endowment for the Arts' signature Shakespeare in American Communities initiative: Shakespeare for a New Generation. The largest Shakespeare tour in American history, Shakespeare in American Communities brings professional theatre productions of the Bard's works, and related educational activities, to communities in all 50 states.
The initiative, which focuses entirely on introducing middle- and high-school students to Shakespeare and live theater, enables students at nine economically disadvantaged schools to benefit from a Shakespeare LIVE! performance this fall. Due to financial constraints, these schools -- located in Camden, West New York and Burlington City, New Jersey; Stamford, Connecticut; and Staten Island, New York -- were previously unable to provide their students with the opportunity to experience Shakespeare as it was meant to be: in a live performance.
Said Bonnie J. Monte, "We are thrilled that our company has been selected to participate in this prestigious and far-reaching program. Even though the fee for a Shakespeare LIVE! performance is really quite modest -- only about $850 for an entire elementary or secondary school -- there are many districts that simply do not have the resources to bring important programs like Shakespeare LIVE! to their students. Through 2005, Shakespeare for a New Generation will enable numerous underserved schools to benefit from the experience of Shakespeare LIVE! performances and interactive workshops, as well as comprehensive study guides developed by The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey and a wonderful, multimedia 'teaching toolkit' developed by the NEA."
Bringing Shakespeare LIVE! to your school
Reservations are currently being accepted for the fall 2004 Shakespeare LIVE! tour, which includes an hour-long version of the perennial favorite A Midsummer Night's Dream, appropriate for students in grade 3 and above; and an 80-minute production of Hamlet: Prince of Denmark for grades 7 through 12. Performances are available for schools from November 1 through December 3.
Prior to each performance, teachers receive a comprehensive study guide, developed by Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey eductors, which contains invaluable tools for enhancing students' appreciation and understanding of Shakespeare. The study guide provides important historical information, an introduction to the language, a scene-by-scene synopsis of the play and thematic perspectives, as well as engaging classroom exercises and topics for discussion.
The Shakespeare LIVE! experience also includes a post-performance discussion, during which students and teachers have the opportunity to ask questions and engage in a dialogue with the actors.
Shakespeare LIVE! performance fees are $850 for a single performance; $1,600 for two performances on the same day; and $1,650 for two performances on different days.
In addition to performances, Shakespeare LIVE! also offers the interactive workshops Shakespeare in Performance, an introduction to speaking Shakespeare's language, and Stage Combat. These unique introductory workshops, conducted by professional actors and guest artist-educators, are designed for up to 30 student participants. Tailored to the students' grade level, each workshop provides a focused arena in which to study concepts relating to Shakespeare and live theatre. Workshops may be booked singularly or in conjunction with a Shakespeare LIVE! performance. Workshop fees begin at $350 for a two-hour session.
For reservations or additional information about Shakespeare LIVE! programs, call 973-408-3980 or e-mail JBGrant@ShakespeareNJ.org.
Public performance in Morristown by Shakespeare LIVE!
A special public performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare LIVE! will be offered at The Community Theatre in Morristown on Sunday, November 14 at 3:00 p.m. Shakespeare's hilarious escapade about four lovers and a band of rustic misfits, will be performed especially for family audiences. Tickets are $15 and may be purchased by calling The Community Theatre directly at 973-539-8008.
For a complete list of upcoming public performances by Shakespeare LIVE!, visit
www.ShakespeareNJ.org and click on "Touring Companies."
The acclaimed Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey is one of the leading Shakespeare theatres in the nation. Serving 100,000 adults and children annually, it is the state's only professional theatre company dedicated to Shakespeare's canon and other world classics. Through its distinguished productions and education programs, the company strives to illuminate the universal and lasting relevance of the classics for contemporary audiences.
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey's programs are made possible, in part, by funding from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as contributions from numerous corporations, foundations and individuals. American Airlines is the official airline of The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey. Triumph Brewing Company is The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey's official beer provider. Crystal Rock Water is the company's official water provider.
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