California Shakespeare Theater Announces Registration for Summer Conservatory

California Shakespeare Theater is now accepting registrations for students between the ages of 8 and 18 for its 2010 Summer Shakespeare Conservatory.

This year, in addition to the regular 5-week and 2-week sessions in Lafayette and Oakland, the Conservatory is branching out to include its first-ever, 4-week session at St. Ignatius College Preparatory in San Francisco, alma mater of Cal Shakes Artistic Director Jonathan Moscone.

There will be two open houses to provide interested students and their parents the opportunity to meet the Conservatory faculty, see the campuses, and ask questions; the first open house will be at Bentley Upper School in Lafayette, February 16 from 6:30pm to 8pm, and the second will be at St. Ignatius College Prep in San Francisco, February 23 from 6:30pm to 8pm.

Cal Shakes Summer Shakespeare Conservatory is rooted in the same passion for artistic exploration that guides Cal Shakes' Main Stage productions. Working with professional teaching artists, Conservatory students spend the morning studying acting, voice physical comedy, stage combat, movement, improvisation, text, and more; afternoons are spent in rehearsal, where all the disciplines come together to create a fully-realized, specially-adapted public performance of a Shakespeare play on the final day of the Conservatory.

Dates and times for the San Francisco 4-week Conservatory are Monday-Friday, July 12-August 6, from 9am to 3pm. All classes and performances will be held at St. Ignatius College Preparatory, 2001 37th Avenue in San Francisco. Tuition is $1,200. There are two sessions available in Lafayette: the 5-week Conservatory from June 21-July 24, and the 2-week Conservatory from July 26-August 6. All classes and performances will be held at Bentley Upper School, 1000 Upper Happy Valley Rd in Lafayette. Tuition is $1,350 for the 5-week Conservatory and $500 for the 2-week Conservatory. And once again, Cal Shakes returns to Oakland's Holy Names High School for the fourth consecutive year to hold its popular 2-week Conservatory from June 28-July 9. Tuition is $500.

Enrollment in the 4-week and 5-week Conservatories is dependent on an interview; no audition is required. Scholarships are available. Shuttle transportation is available for the Oakland and Lafayette sessions; shuttle passes may be purchased with registration for a nominal fee. All Conservatory participants receive complimentary tickets to all Cal Shakes productions, with season subscriptions available at half-price for family members.

For more information or to register, call Ava Jackson, Artistic Learning Coordinator, at 510.809.3293 or email learn@calshakes.org.