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Shakespeare in Action is a Toronto-based, multi-racial Shakespearean theatre company for young audiences. The company brings Shakespeare's plays to children and students across Toronto.[1] Founded in 1988 by Artistic Director Michael Kelly, Shakespeare in Action offers theater-related programming for students, teachers and the community.
History
editShakespeare in Action was founded in 1988 by Michael Kelly, a classically trained actor who has worked in Canada and the United States teaching Shakespeare.[2] In 1991, the company performed for young offenders in prison, and from 1993 to 1996 toured productions of Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, Macbeth, and A Midsummer Night's Dream to schools in the Greater Toronto Area.[3] In 1996, they began producing mainstage productions, starting with Romeo and Juliet. In 1999, they traveled to New Zealand to work with the National Youth Drama School and Shakespeare Globe Centre. In 2006, they partnered with the Toronto Public Library to create the Shakespeare for Kids Library Club, a free program where children learn how to act out Shakespeare's plays themselves.[4] Over the past few years, the company has expanded its programming and has become the Artist Company in Residence at Central Commerce Collegiate Institute just west of downtown Toronto. Shakespeare in Action has served over 500,000 audience members in its 22 years.[3]
In 2009 the company became the Artist Company in Residence at Toronto's Central Commerce Collegiate Institute.[5]
Organization
editThe company focuses on demystifying Shakespeare's language and encouraging students to identify with the stories within the plays. The company's main stage productions use Shakespeare's original text, and their workshops and youth programs help students to work through the text and explore the historical background of the plays and the process behind production, often through group performance.[2]
Shakespeare in Action is a non-profit organization registered with the Canada Revenue Agency. They operate under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Actors' Equity Association, hiring only professional actors, and have memberships with many professional organizations including the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres, the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts, and Theatre Ontario.[6]
Artistic director
editMichael Kelly is the founder and artistic director of Shakespeare in Action. He is an actor, director, producer, teacher, and arts educator who has directed many contemporary and Shakespearean plays and taught master classes for The Stratford Festival, the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival, and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London. Kelly is a part-time member of the Theatre Faculty at York University.[7] He has also taught acting at George Brown College, Randolph Academy for the Arts, and the National Youth Drama School in New Zealand.[8]
References
edit- ^ "Shakespeare in Action". Toronto Parents' Guide. 23 January 2008. Retrieved 2010-10-20.
- ^ a b Briskness, Annmarie (2002). "Empowering kids with Shakespeare". The Village Gleaner.
- ^ a b "Company History". Shakespeare in Action. Archived from the original on 2011-01-19. Retrieved 2011-01-26.
- ^ "TD Shakespeare for Kids". Toronto Public Library. Archived from the original on 2012-03-06. Retrieved 2010-10-20.
- ^ Toronto District School Board "Central Commerce Collegiate", Toronto District School Board, Toronto. Retrieved on 2010-10-20.
- ^ "Who's Who". Professional Association of Canadian Theatres. Archived from the original on 2004-04-01. Retrieved 2011-01-26.
- ^ York University "Theatre Faculty", York University, Toronto. Retrieved on 2011-01-26.
- ^ Avenue Road Arts School "Splash! Winter '99" Archived 2011-07-07 at the Wayback Machine, [Avenue Road Arts School], Toronto. Retrieved on 2011-01-26.