Personal and Professional Development

Education forms half of the American Shakespeare Center‘s mission, and our stellar Programming Team produces meaningful events for all ages, based in scholarship, and tied to the titles of our season and the canon as a whole.

Personal Development

Friday Night Lights On

Friday Night Lights On aims to shed light on diverse perspectives relating to our onstage productions. Join us for lectures, workshops, demonstrations, discussion panels, and more led by our fantastic Programming Team, colleagues in the theatre and academic arenas, and outstanding community partners. On the Blackfriars stage every Friday of our show weeks at 5:00 PM.

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No Kidding Shakespeare Camp

JULY 24-31, 2023

Adult thespians of all experience levels are invited to spend a week strutting and fretting their hour upon the stage at the American Shakespeare Center’s No Kidding Shakespeare Camp. This weeklong program blends performance training with academic enrichment, giving participants a chance to hone their craft while learning about Shakespeare’s staging conditions in the world’s only recreation of his indoor theatre, the Blackfriars Playhouse. Led by our world-class Programming team, you will get a crash course in all the skills that ASC actors use in professional productions in a low-stakes, Renaissance-style (ensemble directed), week-long rehearsal process culminating in a staged reading performance of William Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew in the Blackfriars Playhouse at the end of the week. Perfect for both seasoned performers and enthusiastic amateurs.

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No Kidding Drama Club
FALL Cycle Begins SOON (TBD!)

It’s the Drama Club experience for grown ups! Become part of our repertory: Join in the fun and perform on the Blackfriars Stage along with ASC Education Artists and other special guests. The No Kidding Drama Club meets to read and rehearse a classic play – No Kidding Drama Club will return this fall!

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Professional Development

Teacher Seminars

Fall 2023: October 20 – 22

Whirling Words: The Spoken and Unspoken in Hamlet and Much Ado About Nothing

Join our Education Programming staff for a weekend of on-your-feet explorations of the knottiest (and sometimes naughtiest) moments in these two classic curriculum titles. Over the weekend you will gain hands-on experience with ASC’s classroom techniques and put your learning into action as we direct ASC actors in a scene from one of the plays. A wordy, whirling weekend not to be missed!

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