California Shakespeare Theater

Berkeley, California

Founded in 1973, California Shakespeare Theater (Cal Shakes) is an award-winning, nationally recognized regional theater situated in the stunning natural environment of protected, open space in the East Bay Area. Cal Shakes is committed to taking Shakespeare and the classics off the shelf, lifting them off the page in theatrically inventive, socially relevant, and emotionally rich ways. This spirit animates their groundbreaking productions of the classics, the creation of new American plays, and— in classrooms and community settings—education programs that foster student learning, creative expression, and life-long investment in the arts. Cal Shakes is guided by the belief that everyone, regardless of age, context, or background, deserves to experience the relevance of Shakespeare and the classics in their lives. The company makes boldly imagined and deeply entertaining interpretations of Shakespeare's plays, fresh rediscoveries of important works of world theater, and new works inspired by classic literature. Through their work on stage and in education, they aim to build a culture of life-long creativity marked by diversity of thought and freedom of expression.

Cal Shakes' Student Discovery program creates a contextualized experience of live theater for San Francisco Bay Area students through an array of resources and instruction provided at their theater and in the classroom. Every year, thousands of students from diverse cultural and geographic backgrounds discover lasting connections between Shakespeare's work and their own lives. The Student Discovery program is dedicated to deepening young people's interest in classical theater and immersing them in joys of learning and discovery through the creative process. In 2007, students saw the company's production of King Lear. The experience of this major work of classical theater will be heightened by the outdoor setting where students can look out to a vista of rolling hills and California sky. Funding from Shakespeare for a New Generation assisted underwrite the participation students from underserved schools with large populations of low-income students. These students benefited from a full array of Student Discovery programming, including complimentary tickets and pre- and post-performance classroom workshops. New programming this year included extended artist residencies to a number of classrooms, expanded activities at Cal Shakes before and after the performance, and professional development to help teachers integrate arts-based strategies from the teacher's guide into their lessons.

Visit them at: http://www.calshakes.org/

Feedback from Company

One of the highlights for 2007 was the development and implementation of a new on-site educational activity called "32-second King Lear." In 2006, we had observed the restlesness of students and subsequent anxiety of chaperones and teachers as groups waited in our pinic "groves" to enter the theater. Transportation logistics for some schools leave groups anywhere for 15 minutes to an hour to kill before sitting down, and students were tempted to wander off or even climb on the outdoor art installations.