Summer with Shakespeare Springs to Success!
By A Noise Within
July 20, 2015
On any given day during our five-week camp session, A Noise Within was abuzz.
Teen campers ran through their end-of-session presentation of King Lear. Tweens performed gravity-defying aerial feats on the Redmond Stage. And the small fry painted scenes to dazzling effect.
The very best part? “For me,” confides Education Director Alicia Green, it’s “seeing the pride the kids take in learning new skills—-be it magic, memorizing their parts, learning a dance, or sword fight.”
Better still, she says, is “watching the kids develop a sense of ensemble. As we say from day one, the process is even more important than success of the product(ion). Teamwork is everything here,” Alicia smiles.
This point of view is echoed by parent Judy Prescott, who says, “(My daughter learned the) importance of ensemble…that the children are part of something greater than themselves and must learn to appreciate and value their fellow actors. What a gift!”
For the first time, campers were grouped chronologically. “I was thrilled that we were able to offer three age-tracked sessions for the first time this year,” Alicia says. “Our teaching artists, all of whom were incredibly committed and talented, were able to offer age-appropriate activities that allowed each camper to realize his or her potential in a supportive environment. And frankly,” Alicia says, “While I knew these instructors were top-notch, even I was amazed at how they crafted sessions that were as rigorous as they were fun—-and the comments from campers and parents alike reinforced my intuition.”
Her own favorite part of SWS? “Seeing 14-18 take the germ of an idea, and then choose a play, undertake all the tech work, and conjure a full-length production that is truly theirs—in just five weeks.”
With over 100 campers, Summer with Shakespeare’s resounding success is a testament to the vision and hard work of Alicia, her staff, our instructors, and—especially—the campers themselves. Congratulations, all, on a super “Summer” indeed!
