Camp Shakespeare Creates Performance Opportunity for Kids This Summer in Bloomington

Registration is now open for Bloomington Theatre and Art Center's Camp Shakespeare, a special 2-week summer theater camp for all youth entering Grades 2-12. This educational offering for young people will introduce dramatically-inclined students to the beautiful language and stories of William Shakespeare in a workshop-based rehearsal setting, weekdays from June 17- June 28, 9:00 a.m. to noon. The camp will culminate in two free public performances on June 29 and 30, as the youth enrolled in Camp Shakespeare share the stage with the professional artists who will teach them.

Camp Shakespeare will be taught by Twin Cities theatre artists Anya Kremenetsky, Adam Scarpello, and Suzie Juul, all of whom return from last year's inaugural presentation of Camp Shakespeare. With a developed and proven curriculum that makes the words and stories of William Shakespeare fun and easy to understand, students will divide into three age groups (grade school, middle school, and high school) to work with these professional Twin-Cities actor/directors to stage a short version of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing.

"A child may play one of the elegant citizens of Messina, a comical constable, or one of the boisterous soldiers of Don Pedro's army," explains Paul R. Coate, BTAC's Performing Arts Education Manager and creator of Camp Shakespeare. "The mission of this camp is not just to help children learn how to act out the language and stories of Shakespeare, but to have a well-rounded and confidence-building lesson in communication, team work, and social interaction. Kids will learn about Shakespeare's timeless works and how to improve their grades in future English classes, but the learning experience in Camp Shakespeare is really about the development of a wide variety of life skills."

During the Camp Shakespeare performance weekend, students will perform a short version of Much Ado About Nothing in Schneider Theater at Bloomington Center for the Arts at 1800 W. Old Shakopee Road. Performances take place June 29 and 30 at 2pm and are free and open to the public. Attendees are invited to bring blankets, a picnic, and the whole family.

The cost to enroll your child in Camp Shakespeare is $260 for members of Bloomington Theatre and Art Center and $285 for non-members. Partial scholarships are available based upon need, and all students are welcome to participate without having to audition. To register, or for more information, visit www.btacmn.org or call 952-563-8575.

The Bloomington Theatre and Art Center (BTAC), a 501(c)(3) is a nonprofit organization formed in 2009 from the merger of the Bloomington Civic Theatre and Bloomington Art Center. BTAC offers high quality Theater Productions, art education for children and adults, and visual arts exhibitions featuring the work of emerging and established artists from Minnesota and surrounding states.

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