Build confidence and expand creativity with the ultimate team sport: Theatre.

Offered in partnership with City of Staunton Parks and Recreation.

With Shakespeare’s text as our touchstone and his technology as our laboratory, ASC Drama Club meets once a week in ~12-week terms to explore Shakespeare’s wordcraft and stagecraft through play, building confidence and expanding creativity by working together to craft and rehearse a final performance at the Blackfriars Playhouse. Included in the cost of each Drama Club is a ticket for each participant to join the group on a field trip to the Blackfriars Playhouse.

Registration for Spring 2025 ASC Drama Clubs is currently OPEN.

DATES & INFO

spring 2025 CYCLE: january 26 – april 27, 2025

Final Performance: Sunday, april 27 @ 7:30pm

ASC Drama Club – Junior

Ages: 8-13

Play: King Lear

Cost: $185 for residents, $187 for non-residents

Learn the theatrical basics by working on an abridged production of a Shakespeare play. Participants audition at the beginning of the cycle to receive their parts and spend the remainder of the cycle rehearsing for their final performance on the Blackfriars Playhouse stage. Included in the registration cost is a ticket for each participant to attend a special field trip to see a mainstage American Shakespeare Center production.

SCHEDULE OVERVIEW:

Weekly Rehearsals: Sundays from 1-3 PM (1-4 PM beginning March 2) from January 26 – April 27

Playhouse Field Trip to see King Lear: Saturday, March 1 from 1:45-4:30 PM

Playhouse Dress Rehearsal: Saturday, April 5 from 9 AM-12 PM

Final Performance: Sunday, April 27 at 7:30 PM

(View full details and mandatory dates under the “Schedule” tab above)

ASC Drama Club – Senior

Ages: 14-18

Cost: $185 for residents, $187 for non-residents

Develop a deep appreciation for Shakespeare’s stagecraft while learning more about his wordcraft. Participants will work on a variety of scenes and speeches from different Shakespeare plays throughout the cycle, culminating in a final performance of scenes on the Blackfriars Playhouse stage. Included in the registration cost is a ticket for each participant to attend a special field trip to see a mainstage American Shakespeare Center production.

SCHEDULE OVERVIEW:

Weekly Rehearsals: Sundays from 4:30-6:30 PM, January 26 – April 27

Playhouse Field Trip to see King Lear: Saturday, March 1 from 1:45-4:30 PM

Playhouse Dress Rehearsal: Sunday, April 6 from 5-7 PM

Final Performance: Sunday, April 27 at 7:30 PM

(View full details and mandatory dates under the “Schedule” tab above)

Why join a drama club?

ASC Drama Clubs introduce participants to the vocabulary of theatre, generally (things like “blocking” and “stage right/left”) as well as Shakespeare’s language, specifically (why do they talk like that?).

Participants gain all the benefits of theatrical training: greater collaborative skills, enhanced creative and critical thinking, increased awareness of physicality and movement, personal responsibility, and group camaraderie (to name a few). Specifically, they learn how to work together to put on a performance and gain valuable skills and experience in doing so. Making theatre isn’t just about memorizing lines and writing down blocking: it’s also about listening actively and responding genuinely, taking care of yourself and your teammates, and working together on a project that will always be greater than the sum of its parts.

Participants also gain an advanced, early understanding of Shakespeare—often before they encounter his plays in an academic environment. The objective of all ASC Drama Clubs is to foster a lifelong love of theatre in general and Shakespeare in particular. Available evidence suggests early exposure (before the onset of “Shakesfear” in high school) to be the best way to achieve that objective.