This year, we offered six weeks of programming. At Fais Do Do, we offered three weeks of our Shakespeare Intensive – Players explored plays like Twelfth Night, Taming of the Shrew, Cymbeline, King Lear, Hamlet, Much Ado about Nothing, and Midsummer Night’s Dream. We were honored to have poet Hardy Keith Edwards as guest instructor – he worked with the students to explore not only Shakespeare’s poetry, but the works of Maya Angelou, Sojourner Truth and Claude McKay.
At the Lyric Theatre, we offered two weeks of Shakespeare Intensive, and one week of Queen Elinor’s School of Knighthood and Chivalry. Our young knights learned combat from fight masters Kila Packet and Esdras Touissant, horseback-riding from equestrian experts Lorena Orlosky and David James, and archery from Gary Landers at the Rancho Park Archery Range. We also explored the art of storytelling – our Knights interviewed family members, and shared stories of family history. We divided into small groups, and each group created a “family” crest, motto and mission.
A highlight of the summer was our amazing staff of student teacher-directors. Several of our students who are now in or approaching high school mentored the younger Players, and took on coaching, teaching and directing tasks. We are so proud of their excellent work!