Baltimore Shakespeare Festival

Baltimore, Maryland

Baltimore Shakespeare Festival is a professional theater company dedicated to producing affordable classical theater in Baltimore City, and to introducing Maryland students to Shakespeare through innovative educational programs—both in and out of the classroom. Founded in 1993, Baltimore Shakespeare Festival places an emphasis on highlighting the talent of local artists, including actors, directors, designers, and playwrights. The festival presents a season of classical theater at two Baltimore venues: indoors at St. Mary's Outreach Center and outdoors at Meadow at Evergreen Museum and Library. It is the festival's goal to teach Shakespeare and cultivate new audiences. Its interactive, performance-based programs help students approach Shakespeare's work with confidence and enthusiasm, and its teaching artists help students mount their own performances of Shakespeare. The growth of Baltimore Shakespeare Festival's educational activities has been impressive—from just two residencies in 2000 to the current wide variety of activities that include full-length teen performances and an introduction to Shakespeare for elementary- and middle-school students.

As part of Shakespeare for a New Generation, Baltimore Shakespeare Festival will expand and enhance its student matinee program with four additional student matinees of the production of Hamlet. This will provide an opportunity for students from at least 12 disadvantaged schools in Baltimore to participate. Each participating school will receive bus transportation, lunch, subsidized tickets, study guides for teachers and students, a pre-performance workshop in the classroom, a post-show discussion, and a post-performance workshop in the classroom. The festival will also develop a companion Web site and will encourage students to write critiques of the production to post on the company's Web site.

Visit them at: www.baltimoreshakespeare.org