Throughout this elective, students will engage essential questions about the human experience through discussion, written work, film viewing, performance, and reading, all while establishing authentic connections between literature, life, and our ever-expanding world. Indeed, that’s the point of studying Shakespeare’s drama and poetry. Students in this course will read from Shakespeare’s sonnets, comedies, tragedies, and history plays while also working with the critical secondary writing of scholars and viewing various films (some in full, others only in excerpts). All films will relate to our curriculum and will be used to expand critical thinking skills and establish further connections between literature and life.

This course is open to all students: from learners looking to try something new and creative to beginning actors and experienced performers alike. In Acting for the Stage, students will explore the ways in which voice, body, and emotion - the actor's three instruments - contribute to performance. The class will study different modes of acting (including improv, drama, and comedy) while memorizing monologues and scenes in partners and groups. The course will culminate in a simulation of a full dramatic audition. The goal of this course is to nurture in all students critical thinking, creativity, confidence, and compassion: the skills that allow actors to soar onstage and that empower students to thrive in any academic environment. Students in this course earn art credit. This course may be repeated for credit.