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Monday, February 3, 2014

CENTENARY STAGE PARTNERS WITH PRESTIGIOUS FOLGER SHAKESPEARE LIBRARY TO CONNECT WITH AREA SCHOOLS

SHAKESPERIENCE
a program sponsored by The Folger Shakespeare Library

WHEN: Tuesday, April 29th
WHERE:
the campus of Centenary College, Hackettstown, NJ

Shake It Up Shakespeare: Magic, Mystery, and Mayhem
Part of CSC’s outreach program is their Young Audience Series
An adaptation by Stephen Davis, incorporating scenes from three of Shakespeare’s most popular works: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth, and Romeo and Juliet

WHEN: Saturday, April 18th at 11 AM
WHERE:
The Little Theatre, Centenary College, Hackettstown
TICKETS: $12.50 for adults and $10 for children under 12.
Contact the CSC Box Office at 908.979.0900 for more information on school group sales.
Open to the public, recommended for middle school and high school aged youth

Shakespeare PhotosAssistant Professor of Theatre Arts at Centenary College, Stephen Davis, has long been a teacher and advocate of the works of master playwright and poet William Shakespeare. For over five years, Davis has married his love of the bard and his love for education to help foster an appreciation for Shakespeare in the youth of New Jersey. (Left to Right: Brandon Casey, Stephen Davis, and Natasha Cowling)

The Folger Shakespeare Library—or Folger for short—is located in Washington, D.C. and is a world-renowned research center on Shakespeare. Its well-known public programs include plays, concerts, literary readings, family activities, and exhibitions, as well as numerous K-12 and college programs for students and professional development opportunities for teachers.

Shakespeare PhotosIn an effort to create a statewide Shakespeare Festival for students in grades 5 to 12, The Folger has worked with The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey and Rider University for the past 6 years, “introducing the students to performance-based instructional methods, activities, and exercises to get them up and on their feet speaking Shakespeare’s language, and having fun while doing so,” says Director of Education at The Folger, Bob Young. Young worked together with Davis and CSC General Manager Catherine Rust to begin recruiting schools in western New Jersey as a way to continue expanding the program while promoting CSC’s own education outreach program. Davis stated that educators jumped on the opportunity to be included because “there’s nothing like this in Warren County currently.” (Above, Left to Right: Devin Johnstone, Sean Pergola, Stephen Davis, and Ashley Tirone)

Over the course of the spring semester, Davis will visit with four high school groups to help workshop scenes from some popular Shakespearean plays, as well as his popular sonnets, that will be presented at the Shakesperience event at Centenary in April. The groups that will be participating this April include North Warren Regional High School, Warren County Technical School, Hackettstown High School and a Home-School group based out of New Brunswick.

Shakespeare PhotosDavis, along with Centenary College Theatre and Education Department alum Briana Klingaman, has also been working extensively with Blairstown Elementary School in a residency for four 6th grade classes, covering the life of William Shakespeare and learning how to read his text, culminating in the performance of four scenes from A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

The Folger opened in 1932 as a gift to the American nation from Henry Clay Folger and his wife Emily Jordan Folger. It is administered by a Board of Governors under the auspices of Amherst College, Henry Folger's alma mater. (Left to Right: Justin Gerkhardt, Alexandria Kirchgessner, Logan Humphrey, and Paige Gladd)

The 2013-14 season of performing arts events at the Centenary Stage Company is made possible through the generous support of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the NJ State Council on the Arts, and CSC sponsors, including Premier Sponsor Heath Village Retirement Community, Silver Sponsors Hackettstown Regional Medical Center, The Holiday Inn in Budd Lake, and Fulton Bank, Bronze Sponsors The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation and Wells Fargo Bank, and Centenary Stage Company members and supporters.

Photos by Rob Hom.