Category: Featured

SHAKESPEARE YOUTH FESTIVAL 2021

In April, we’ll be presenting Shakespeare Youth Festival LA 2021, live on Vimeo! Our Virtual Box Office will open in March … join our mailing list to be notified of the Festival performances.

MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM

A mysterious forest, ruled over by a Fairy King and Queen, and inhabited by all sorts of magical creatures. A bunch of “civilians” who sneak into the forest to rehearse a play. And four young runaways who are fed up with life in The Court, and get caught up in it all. There’s a reason this is considered one of Shakespeare’s classics – come escape with us!!

Friday, April 16 at 7 pm
Saturday, April 17 at 2 pm
Sunday, April 18 at 2 pm

UNSPOKEN: SHAKESPEARE’S PERSONAE IN PERIL

The Shakespeare Canon is about to be privatized. A group of minor Shakespeare Actor-Characters are held in a Greenroom while the new “Funders” vote on permanent cuts to the Canon. The actor/characters must stand before the Funders and prove their relevance in their respective plays. A bittersweet comedy, its noteworthy theme embraces all marginalized people and groups having to claim their right to exist in a rapidly intolerant society. It also addresses is the life of an actor, asking the question – are all the sacrifices made for a life in the theatre really worth it?

This bittersweet comedy is a SYF original, and was a smash hit at the 2017 Hollywood Fringe!!

Friday, April 23 at 7 pm
Saturday, April 24 at 2 pm
Sunday, April 25 at 2 pm

RICHARD III

Remember That Guy We Love to Loathe? Yes, exactly! Who else?! The Boar … aka Crookback … aka KING RICHARD III!!

With 2020 behind us, we will now freely flash a 2-ton klieg light on what makes a dysfunctional dynasty.  In our Web of Dysfunction, we weave together the best of characters in the play – from the Boar’s right hand, Buckingham, who manipulates him, to his wife Lady Ann who loathes him, to his sister in law, Queen Consort, Elizabeth, who threatens him, to his enemy (Queen) Margaret of Anjou who curses him ….and finally, his Mother, Cecily Neville, who rejects him. 

Friday, April 30 at 7 pm
Saturday, May 1 at 2 pm
Sunday, May 2 at 2 pm

There are compelling examples of who “to be” and who “not to be” all around us.

As teaching artists, we strive to point our children’s eyes to hope while acknowledging suffering as part of the human experience, and we renew our commitment to creating theater that reflects the cultures and life experiences of our diverse community.

As Angelenos, the answer we offer is compassion, courage, and service.

What can we do right now?

We learn from each other. Do you have a resource, organization, business, etc that you would like to recommend for this page? Email us.

We believe that …

the Performing Arts have the power to change a child’s life, and because we believe that everyone should have the opportunity to experience that power, we are committed to creating theater that reflects the cultures and life experiences of our diverse community.

We are dedicated to making our programs accessible to all children and to actively nurture participation by those who have been historically underrepresented, based on race/ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, citizenship status, religion or socioeconomic status.

We strive to ensure that our children are guided by a diverse collective of teaching artists, and that our policies are set by a Board of Directors that is representative of our community.

While we focus on the works of William Shakespeare, a prominent figure in the Western literary canon, we are committed to exploring Shakespeare’s themes as they apply to all humanity.

Registration is now open for Summer with Shakespeare Youth Festival ONLINE – a fantastic way to introduce kids to Theatre and to Shakespeare!

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ONLINE FORMAT? GET ANSWERS HERE!

SHAKESPEARE INTENSIVE

We’ll explore the characters and language of Shakespeare, improvisation, storytelling, voice and movement, stage combat, mask work, and more!

The week culminates with a live online presentation, where Players will share the work with parents and friends.

THE MAGIC OF SHAKESPEARE
It’s all about the fairies, sprites, wizards and other magical elements found in the Canon. And we’ll use this crazy new medium to create some magical special effects!!
Session One – July 6 – 10

THE KINGS & QUEENS OF SHAKESPEARE
Shakespeare’s History plays are not only chock full of all sorts of fascinating characters, but they bring to life the struggle between power and justice. Shakespeare truly wrote into the future!
Session Two – July 13 – 17

SHAKESPEARE & MYTHOLOGY
Shakespeare set many of his plays in Greece and Rome, and his references to mythology and Greek and Roman Gods show up throughout – let’s explore!!
Session Three – July 20 – 24

THE ROGUES OF SHAKESPEARE
What would Shakespeare be without its troublemakers? Whether they are making us laugh like Falstaff and Feste, or making trouble like Iago and Iachimo, or making history like Hotspur and Hal, the rulebreakers have a lot to teach us!
Session Four – July 27 – 31

Monday through Friday, 10 am to 3 pm
TUITION: $125 per week *

REGISTER TODAY

YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS

THE PLAYS THE THING! WRITE/DIRECT YOUR SHORT PLAY
The program consists of rigorous, exciting storytelling and playwriting sessions, creating short plays out of improvisations with prompts, autobiographical moments, and stories the group creates together.

In the mornings, writers will join our actors in improvisation, story-telling and other modules that will support their work as writers. In the afternoon, they will focus on the writing aspect, as they are joined by professional actors and SYF actors, who will support them in development, and who will perform the plays at the end of the week.

July 13 – 17

Monday through Friday, 10 am to 3 pm
TUITION: $125

REGISTER TODAY

* We believe that every child who is drawn to this work should be able to participate, so we offer a variety of scholarships – click here for the application form and guidelines. Please do not hesitate to apply!

What Los Angeles Drama Club has achieved in 2019 boggles the imagination!

So much so that we have changed our name to Shakespeare Youth Festival so that we can better reflect our wider inclusion and expansion as a global youth arts movement.

This year alone, Shakespeare Youth Festival has reached over 1,000 children and youth locally and around the globe.

Because of your support and that of many others, Hamlet has been spoken in English, Spanish, Setswana, and Luo! Prospero has worked his magic in Watts, Botswana, Kenya and in Guanajuato, Mexico! And our own Shakespeare Youth Festival LA – now in its 15th year (and featured in the LA Times) – continues to change lives.

More importantly, Shakespeare Youth Festival has provided and continues to provide the support for young people to develop self-empowerment, grow their strengths and participate in creating an ever-expanding community of inclusiveness, acceptance and love. We invite you to read testimonials from young people who have grown up with us.

But … Shakespeare Youth Festival cannot thrive without your financial support.

Please put us on the top of your end-of-year giving list, so that we can continue to make a profound and lasting impact on our children in our immediate community and around the globe.

Thank you,

Blaire Baron
Artistic Director

Julia Wyson
Executive Director
Shakespeare Youth Festival

We are proud and excited to announce that, henceforth, Los Angeles Drama Club is changing its operating name to Shakespeare Youth Festival to more accurately reflect our wider inclusion and expansion as a global youth arts movement. Fifteen years ago, we presented our first performance in our city of Los Angeles and our name reflected our close-knit ensemble, and our policy of inclusiveness. Now, we work with more than 1,000 children annually, and in 2018, with Ms. Blaire’s trip to Botswana, we became global, and have now shared our work in four countries.

To continue to operate as Los Angeles Drama Club is akin to trying to fit into a suit that is two sizes too small! As we continue to bring our mission to new places, our name now reflects our passion – creating and celebrating communities of belonging and self-empowerment with children and youth locally and across the globe through the works of William Shakespeare!

New West students, join us! No experience necessary! You’ll learn the basics of acting, vocal and movement techniques, and the ins and outs of Shakespeare’s language. Our work will culminate in a full performance of a Shakespeare play.

Mondays from 4 to 6 pm
begins September 9th
Performances: Wednesday, December 18 and Thursday, December 19
Tuition: $225

LOCATION: 11625 West Pico Boulevard

Full rehearsal schedule:
September 9, 16, 23
October 2 *, 7, 14, 21, 28
November 4, 13 *, 18
December 2, 9, 16

* Rehearsal held on Wednesday from 2 to 4 pm to make up for Monday holidays

Dress Tech: Tuesday, December 17
We will schedule one weekend “retreat” – an extended rehearsal that will be held one of the two weekends prior to the performance.

PLEASE NOTE: Regular attendance is critical!! If you have conflicts with any of the above dates, or if you have any other questions, please email us at losangelesdramaclub@gmail.com prior to registering.

THIS CLASS IS OPEN TO NEW WEST CHARTER STUDENTS ONLY …

REGISTRATION IS CLOSED

LADC is proud to announce that the Jack Oakie and Victoria Horne Oakie Charitable Foundation is an official sponsor of Shakespeare Youth Festival LA. The Foundation’s generous donation makes it possible for all children to participate in this life-changing experience, and we are grateful for their generosity.

The Jack Oakie and Victoria Horne Oakie Charitable Foundation’s mission is to follow through with the late Jack Oakie’s wish, “Give the money to the kids,” by scholarships for deserving film and theater students at some of the most prestigious institutions in the country. Mrs. Oakie instructed the Trustees of the Foundation to keep her husband’s legacy alive and enhance the value of visual performing arts education. We are honored that the Foundation will be supporting our theater students – their donation will fund scholarships and financial aid for our bi-annual Shakespeare Youth Festival LA.

Both Jack Oakie and Victoria Horne Oakie were active participants in and during the famous Golden Age of Hollywood. Between them, they acted in more than 122 films over a 60-year period. Their contributions to acting and comedy can now be passed on to a new generation with the help of their Foundation scholarships.