The mission of the Shakespeare Alive! educational outreach program is to promote active engagement with the works of William Shakespeare. By doing so, we hope to nurture respect for the power of language, encourage the examination of complex ideas, fire imaginations, and deepen understanding and tolerance for the richness of human experience.
Join us for a FREE family-friendly version of Shakespeare's The Tempest. Prospero, the rightful king of Milan, has been banished to a magical island where he rules over fantastical creatures. When Prospero discovers that the brother who betrayed him is sailing close to his enchanted island, he conjures up a storm that shipwrecks the unrepentant Antonio and sets off a chain of surprising events that will lead to a final reconciliation. This 45-minute show is geared towards children 9 and older, but we welcome the entire family to join us in the Festival courtyard. Don't forget to pack your lawn chairs!
Shows are at 10 a.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays from June 27 through August 8, 2009 (for a calendar please click here). This event is free but tickets must be reserved in advance. Shows are quickly reserving out; dates still available are July 15th, 18th, 22nd, 25th, 29th, August 1st, and 8th. Reservations are available by calling 309-438-3334 or email at festedu@ilstu.edu. (There will be no show on Saturday July 4, 2009).
The Tempest is also available to tour from June 27- August 9, 2009. Please contact Annaliisa Ahlman, Educational Outreach Director, at 309-438-3334 or festedu@ilstu.edu for more information.
The Illinois Shakespeare Festival is proud to launch our Shakespeare Summer Camps for young thespians in Summer 2009. These day camps offer youth, grades 6 to 12, an exciting environment to explore Shakespeare's text with their peers in one week or two week sessions. Small group activities with trained teaching artists help students develop skills in acting, voice, movement, character development and technical theatre. Students entering grades 9-12 will also learn beginning stage combat. Small group rehearsals lead to a public performance at the end of each session. Tuition also includes special workshops with our professional actors, backstage tours, and discounted tickets to a performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Bring "Shakespeare Alive" at camp this summer!
Camps are open to students who will enter grades 6-8 and 9-12 in Fall 2009.
All sessions run Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Session 1 A Midsummer Night's Dream: June 22 - July 3, 2009
Cost: $350 per studentSession 2 The Tempest: July 6 - July 10, 2009
Cost: $200 per studentSession 3 Hamlet: July 13 - July 17, 2009
Cost: $200 per student
Special family and dual session rates are available. Please contact Annaliisa Ahlman at 309-438-3334 or festedu@ilstu.edu to register or for more information.
The Illinois Shakespeare Festival is pleased to offer teachers and students the opportunity to experience the excitement of Shakespeare in performance with scenes from The Rustics of Arden, a 30-minute original adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Using actors from Illinois State University's School of Theatre, this production highlights contemporary themes in this timeless tale of love, ambition, jealousy, and redemption.
Actors and certified teaching artists engage students after the show, answer questions, and guide students to a greater understanding of why Shakespeare and his stories continue to speak to us more than 400 years after they were written.
Grade-appropriate teaching materials are available electronically for teachers wanting further enrichment opportunities. Classroom workshops may also be arranged to help students engage in moving Shakespeare from the page to the stage.
Please contact Annaliisa Ahlman at 309-438-3334 or festedu@ilstu.edu for more information.
May 14, 2009
The John Stevens Golf Outing is back with a new date and a new format! No golf skills? No problem! This year, register for the Classic, an 18-hole Scramble, or the Clinic, a 2 hour lesson with a golf pro then random hole play afterward. Proceeds from the Golf Outing fund two areas: (1) allows disadvantaged area youths the opportunity to attend one of our three summer theatre camps and (2) pays for the salary of one Equity actor for the entire season. To register or for more information, www.thefestival.org/support.shtml
For more information on how you can support the Shakespeare Alive! educational outreach program, please contact Vanessa Bamber at 309-438-8974 or shake@ilstu.edu.
