CLASSES
Classes are available for middle school and high school students as well as for grade school students. Classes are also available for adults.
for Middle and High School Students
shakespeare for young actors
SYA is for students entering grades 7-12 and is designed to help young artists grow and learn new skills while engaging with professional company members. Acting students learn to approach Shakespeare’s text the same way our professional actors do: applying principles of scansion, acting technique, and text analysis. Additional skills vary by year depending on the expertise of the current acting company and have included Shakespeare for the camera, basic video lighting/composition, improvisation, and clowning. This class culminates in a final presentation in late July.
If you are planning to request a scholarship for your student, please contact Aaron A. Young (managingdirector@grsf.org) before registering.
for GRADE SCHOOL STUDENTS
Will’s Creative Drama
(Age 4-Grade 2)
In this half-day class for our youngest creators, students will be introduced to theatre and storytelling through games and familiar folktales and fables. They will learn basic theater exercises that promote confidence, foster positive group dynamics, and ignite the imagination. Students will work together to build a safe, respectful, and FUN atmosphere, developing collaboration and concentration skills throughout the week. The program will culminate in a final presentation for friends and families.
Will’s Power Players
(Grades 3-6)
In this full-day, week-long class, students will play imaginative games, act out scenes, and create performances based on folktales, fairy tales, fables, and mythology. Students will be introduced to basic theater exercises that promote confidence, foster positive group dynamics, and bolster the imagination. WPP works on building a respectful community in a safe, supportive atmosphere. Students learn to showcase their natural talents and improve their observation and concentration skills. Class will culminate in a final presentation for friends and families at the end of the week.
If you are planning to request a scholarship for your student, please contact Aaron A. Young (managingdirector@grsf.org) before registering.
For Adults
the great river collegium
Each summer, the festival supports a group of 15 to 30 adult learners who have organized a collegium to study the plays in each GRSF season. The group meets once per week over 10 weeks from March through May to study the plays being produced that season. Actors, directors, and designers are invited to classes to augment script studies. Tuition is $30 for each session, $60 for both.
Youth classes are made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.
Support also comes from the Slaggie Family Foundation and the Elizabeth Callender King Foundation.