All Year Round
Drama Programs—for grown-ups!
ABOUT “NO KIDDING”
Become part of ASC’s repertory! Join in the fun and perform on the Blackfriars stage along with ASC Education Artists and other special guests. “No Kidding” programming happens throughout the year, where adult theatre lovers meet to read, rehearse, and perform classic plays.
“NO KIDDING” PROGRAMS:
No Kidding Drama Club: The No Kidding Drama Club meets to read and rehearse a classic play once a week over the course of one month, with a final staged reading at the Blackfriars Playhouse on the last day. Sessions happen throughout the year; see below for information on the next session. All experience levels are welcome. See below for tuition and registration details for specific upcoming sessions.
No Kidding Shakespeare Camp: This special weeklong program happens once each summer. Adult thespians (18 and up) of all experience levels are invited to spend a week strutting and fretting their hour on the stage in a program that blends performance training with academic enrichment. You will get a crash course in all the skills that ASC actors use in professional productions in a low-stakes, “Renaissance-style” (meaning ensemble-directed), week-long rehearsal process culminating in a staged reading performance on the Blackfriars stage.
No Kidding Book Club: Join ASC for an exciting new “No Kidding” program: the Shakespeare Book Club! This free program hosted by the Staunton Public Library features a unique format of reading/listening to scenes and engaging in lively discussions from a curated reading list featuring Shakespeare, his contemporaries, and nonfiction works related to the Renaissance.
Suitable for participants aged 18+
Questions? Please email education@americanshakespearecenter.com
NO Kidding DRAMA CLUB
Why let the kids have all the fun? The No Kidding Drama Club is the American Shakespeare Centers Drama Club designed to let adults get in on the fun, too!
It will rehearse on four consecutive Saturdays, and the program will conclude with a Sunday staged reading at the Blackfriars Playhouse.
Classes are “low stakes, high fun” with the primary aim of building a community around enthusiasm for all things theatrical.
Included in the cost of the No Kidding Drama Club is a ticket for each participant to join the group on a field trip to the Blackfriars Playhouse.
All skill levels are welcome. Join us!
Instructor: Aubrey Whitlock of American Shakespeare Center.
Ages 18+. Program held at Nelson Street Teen Center, 900 Nelson Street Staunton, VA 24401
11 am-2 pm, four Saturdays beginning March 22, with a performance held on Sunday, April 13. Price $140.
For more information, contact Aubrey Whitlock at education@americanshakespearecenter.com or by phone at 540-885-5588 ext. 111
Register for No Kidding Drama Club (for Grown Ups)No Kidding Book Club
READING LIST: SEE HERE
Join the American Shakespeare Center for an exciting new “No Kidding” program: the Shakespeare Book Club! This FREE program hosted by the Staunton Public Library will feature a unique format of reading/listening to scenes and engaging in lively discussions from a curated reading list featuring Shakespeare, his contemporaries, and nonfiction works related to the Renaissance. No registration or minimum attendance is required.
Suitable for participants ages 18 and up; all experience levels welcome.
Location:2nd Floor Meeting Room of the Staunton Public Library at 1 Churchville Ave in Staunton
When: 2nd and 4th Saturdays.
SHAKESPEARE CAMP 2025: July 28 – August 4
Ever wanted to live the life of a Shakespearean actor? Now’s your chance!
Join us for a thrilling week of collaboration, workshops, and stagecraft as we work to produce a staged reading of William Shakespeare’s classic comedy, Love’s Labor’s Lost. All experience levels welcome. Suitable for participants ages 18 and up. Registration for Summer 2025 begins on November 1, 2024.
SAMPLE SCHEDULE
Monday, July 28: Meet at the Blackfriars Playhouse at noon for introductions and opening activities (including a read-through of our script).
During the Week:
9am: Yoga (optional, but encouraged!)
10am – 12pm: Workshops and lessons
12 – 2pm: Lunch break
~2 – 5pm: Rehearsal
~5 – 7pm: Dinner break
7pm Thursday & Friday: doors open at the playhouse, enjoy our Summer Season! Watch our professionals, and join us for the post-show talkback on Thursday evening.
Saturday: Rehearsal in the morning, and then participants have a choice: take the rest of the day off to rest/explore Staunton, or see both Summer season shows again.
Sunday, August 3: Performance Day! We perform our staged reading in the Blackfriars Playhouse in the evening.
Monday, August 4: Sonnets in the morning, farewells by noon.
TUITION INFO
Day Camp rate: $1,300 (covers instruction and show tickets)
Residency rate: $2,300 (covers instruction and show tickets as well as lodging and breakfast at Hotel 24 South)
Shakespeare Camp discounts are always available for teachers. Email education@americanshakespearecenter.com for details.
