Stage Door News
Stage Door News
October 22, 2013… Artists from the Stratford Festival arrived in Michigan this weekend as part of the eighth annual Michigan residency. Festival teaching artists will be in the area until November 1, visiting Michigan State University as well as schools in Detroit and environs, East Lansing, Grand Rapids and Port Huron, where they will lead student workshops based on bringing Shakespeare’s plays to life.
“The Michigan Residency is one of many educational and enrichment activities we offer to foster in young people a lifelong love and appreciation of theatre,” says Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino. “Our acting company and artisans create magical worlds on our stages every day. Thanks to the generosity of our Michigan members, we are delighted to bring some of that magic to the students and teachers in the Michigan area, as they work with our artists to explore the joy and inspiration that Shakespeare and classical theatre provide.”
Workshops will teach the Festival’s philosophy of actively learning Shakespeare as participants physically work through a variety of texts in Shakespeare’s canon. A number of topics will be explored, including theatrical play analysis, voice, English language arts, monologue coaching, aspects of technical theatre and design for the theatre, the cultural relevance of Shakespeare and the fundamentals of acting.
During the first week of the residency, 13 artists will visit elementary and secondary schools in Detroit and environs, East Lansing, Grand Rapids and Port Huron. At the end of the week, a Teaching Shakespeare workshop for high school teachers will be held at the University of Michigan Detroit Centre. During the second week, the artists will be working with high school students in the Student Immersion Project at the Wharton Center and with classes at Michigan State University. Workshops will also be held at All The World’s A Stage Acting Studio in the nearby village of Romeo, MI.
Led by Stratford Festival Resident Teaching Artist Edward Daranyi, this year’s group of participating artists are:
Graham Abbey
Skye Brandon
Michelle Giroux
Bruce Godfree
Carmen Grant
Alana Hawley
Brad Hodder
Jacob James
Ruby Joy
Tamara Kutcheran
Anthony Malarky
E.B. Smith
Dorcas Sowumni
Participating Schools:
Detroit and area
Detroit School of Arts
Marian High School
Marine City High School
International Academy of Bloomfield Hills
Willow Wood Public School
East Lansing and area
Everett High School
Chippewa Middle School
Dansville High School
Grand Ledge High School
Lansing Community College
Mason High School
Sexton High School
Wexford Montessori Academy
Grand Rapids and area
Allegan High School
Aquinas College – Performing Arts Center
Byron Center High School
Grandville High School
Forest Hill High School
Port Huron
Port Huron High School
St. Clair Community College
The Festival extends its gratitude to the Wharton Center of Michigan State University and Michigan Member Executive for their support in making this residency happen, as well as the donors who established the Michigan Educational Outreach Fund in the endowed holdings of the Stratford Festival.
Photo: Edward Daranyi. ©2013 Stratford Festival.
2013-10-22
Stratford: Stratford Festival actors visit Michigan to work with students and teachers