Shakespeare Theatre Company Announces New Education Initiative for DC Schools

Shakespeare Theatre Company Education has launched a new, community-building initiative to ensure that students in the District of Columbia have access to the arts. The program, titled District Shakespeare, will engage students in D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) serving grades 8-12 to provide a classical theatre experience that encompasses Shakespeare's artistry and relevancy for today's youth. District Shakespeare ambitiously envisions a future where every DCPS student has the opportunity to see an STC production before they graduate high school.

Organized as a multi-year approach, District Shakespeare launched phase one in September 2011, in conjunction with the start of the Shakespeare Theatre Company's 25th Anniversary Season. Prior to launching the program, STC had existing relationships with only 11 of the 53 public middle and high schools in D.C. Committed to reaching every school, Director of Education Samantha K. Wyer led the effort to contact school officials and schedule workshops. "District of Columbia Public Schools have been a lightning rod for negative criticism, yet the truth is DCPS includes passionate teachers, administrators and students who succeed in learning every day," says Wyer. "These classrooms foster creativity, promote literacy and transform young lives. We want to support DCPS by creating a clear path for students to discover Shakespeare and experience his stories as intended, not merely studied on the page, but in a live professional performance."

To date, STC has already brought District Shakespeare into 28 D.C. Public Schools – more than doubling the previous number – and has received commitments from many others. District Shakespeare is on track to reach all 53 schools by the end of the 2011-2012 school year. "On whole, we have found nothing but eager students with tons of raw talent and potential," says Resident Teaching Artist Jim Gagne. "We have also come into contact with exceptional teachers who are so appreciative of our efforts to reach out to them and their school communities."

During phase one of District Shakespeare, STC offers a dynamic, thought provoking in-class workshop to all D.C. Public Schools with students in grades 8-12. The workshops, taught by STC's nationally recognized group of educators and artists, are offered to each school free of charge. Participating students and teachers are introduced to Shakespeare through an interactive performance-based approach in one of four subject areas: language, acting, theatrical design or stage combat. The curriculum for each workshop is designed to complement the needs of each individual school. Wyer adds "Shakespeare's plays contain every emotion young people wrestle with including first love, profound grief and betrayal. When his work is performed, the students can see themselves which stimulates classroom conversations and self-reflection about what it means to be human." In the course of the workshops, STC plans to lay the groundwork for additional understanding of classic theatre by cultivating and encouraging students' exploration of Shakespeare's plays.

After completing phase one, public schools will enter the program's second phase which involves bringing the students into STC's theatres to experience a live performance through the Company's SHAKESPEARIENCE Student Matinee Program. District Shakespeare students receive free performance tickets and transportation to the SHAKESPEARIENCE matinee. In addition to the performance, the program includes pre- and post-performance workshops, a post performance discussion and a First Folio: Student and Teacher Resource Guide. "We hope that the relationships we create during the first year can become the basis for much larger partnerships in the future," says Gagne. He adds, "Every student deserves the chance to have positive exposure to the work of William Shakespeare; we hope this program provides this opportunity." Also in phase two of District Shakespeare, STC plans to begin workshops with students enrolled in D.C. Charter Schools and will continue the phases with Charter Schools in the following years.

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