Bay Area Shakespeare Camps June 7, 2010

June 7-18, June 21-July 2, July 12-23, July 26-August 6, August 9-20; 9am to 5:30pm

The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival will hold 9 two-week sessions of its Shakespeare Camps for youth this summer. In addition to seven sessions for ages 7-13, one Teen Shakespeare Camp session for ages 12-18 and one Shakespeare Sprites Camp for ages 4-6 will be held. The camps will meet in several locations throughout San Francisco, CA. The sessions meet from 9 am to 3 pm, weekdays, except for the Sprites camp, which will meet from 9:00 am-12 noon. Aftercare from 3:00-5:30 pm is available for the 7-13 age group only.

The camps are appropriate for youth who are new to drama as well as experienced actors. Teaching artists are well-trained adults, many with master's degrees in theater arts and nearly all are professional actors.

"Campers learn about Shakespeare's life, the language that he used and how to understand and perform it, how to use the power of their voices and bodies to tell the story and express emotion, and the basics of the technical side of theater -- costuming, props, and set design. They also work on plays that complement the Festival's season," says Camp Director Rebecca J. Ennals "The Sprites campers, aged 4-6, explores the magical characters of A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Tempest (our next touring production). Depending on their ages, the 7-13 year olds will perform short versions of The Two Gentlemen of Verona (2010's Free Shakespeare in the Park), As You Like It, or a scenes from Hamlet (2009-10 touring production). Teen campers will also work on Hamlet."

The parent of a 2009 camper reports, "Our daughter attended your camp summer and had a truly transformative experience! The incredible instructors and inclusive environment provided her with the highlight of her entire summer and ensured her return next year! My husband and I are elementary teachers and truly value the effort and skill that was exhibited in the way the camp was run."

Camps often sell out, so early registration is strongly encouraged.

Official Website: http://www.sfshakes.org/camp/index.html