Actors Theatre of Louisville

Louisville, Kentucky

Actors Theatre of Louisville, founded in 1964 and designated in 1974 as the state theatre of Kentucky, has emerged as one of America's most consistently innovative theater companies. For more than three decades, the company has been a major force in revitalizing American playwriting, and its unique approach to the presentation of classic repertoire is renowned. Winner of a host of coveted awards and worldwide recognition for excellence, Actors Theatre of Louisville has captured the hearts of audiences in the Louisville region and across the country. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Marc Masterson and Managing Director Jennifer Bielstein, the company's purpose is to bring people together through live theater to celebrate, challenge, and explore who we are. The education department has grown to be a regional leader in arts education, both in and out of the classroom. Educational programs include Actors in the Classroom, which offers pre- and post-show in-class workshops; New Voices: Playwriting in the Schools, a multi-week, in-class residency which enhances students' literacy and critical thinking; and Peace by Peace, an in-class residency program that uses dialogue exercise to enhance students' empathy, self-concept, and conflict-resolution skills. Over the last two years, the education department has served more than 56,000 students in 21 counties in Kentucky and eight counties in Indiana.

As part of Shakespeare for a New Generation, Actors Theatre of Louisville will produce, as part of its mainstage series, A Midsummer Night's Dream. Directed by Artistic Director March Masterson, the play will be offered to middle- and high-school students through school-day matinee performances. Prior to the performances, professional teaching artists will go into the schools to conduct one-hour workshops with each class that will be attending the play. While workshops touch on the basic elements of dramatic literature, stagecraft, and theater etiquette, they primarily focus on the themes, ideas, and historical and social contexts of the play. In this instance, students will experience the politics and social mores of Elizabethan England, as well as the historic arc of myth that connects the earliest dramas to those being written today. Study guides will be provided to teachers and will include in-depth information on the play, Shakespeare as an artist and historical figure, and the historical context that brought this production to life. These guides also reference the specific sections of the Kentucky education guidelines addressed in the curriculum. Performances and activities will be conducted by the company's education staff; two education department interns; and contracted, professional teaching artists. The activities will reach students in an estimated 60 classes at 30 schools in northern Kentucky and southern Indiana.

Visit them at: www.actorstheatre.org