NC Stage and the Montford Park Players Host “Shakespeare and Friends Day”

On Saturday, April 21st, high school students from across Western North Carolina are invited to participate in Asheville School’s “Shakespeare and Friends Day,” which will feature workshops led by NC Stage and the Montford Park Players.

The programming will take place from 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm on Asheville School’s campus. Participants will join in group activities, two workshops, dinner, and wrap up the day with a series of short performances featuring pieces by Shakespeare and other classic playwrights.

Teaching artists from North Carolina Stage Company, better known as NC Stage, will lead a workshop called “Words, Words, Words.” Students will dive into the rhythm, structure, and vocabulary of Shakespeare’s works. NC Stage is a professional theatre company with a commitment to educational programming and will use interactive activities designed to help students gain a deeper understanding of character and text.

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The second workshop, hosted by the Montford Park Players, will focus on dramatic combat. Certified fight choreographer Deanna Braine will lead “Unarmed Combat in Shakespeare’s Plays.” She will teach students how to throw a punch and slap safely though demonstrations and hands-on training.

After completing the workshops, the teaching artists will direct participants as they put on short performances for the larger group. Students will put their new skills to the test and prepare and perform excerpts from Shakespeare or other classic playwrights.

Asheville School Director of Fine Arts Kathy Leiner is excited to unite young people interested in dramatic arts. “The Shakespeare and Friends Day connects students from different high schools and gives them the common ground of the stage to share their passion for theatre,” Leiner said. “Students will be able to enhance their skills and experience new perspectives through collaboration with their peers and professional artists.”

Asheville School’s Shakespeare and Friends Day is open to any interested high school student. Numbers are limited and registration costs $10. Click here to register or email Asheville School Director of Fine Arts Kathy Leiner for questions.

Asheville School is a nationally acclaimed co-ed, college preparatory boarding and day school for students in grades 9 through 12. The 288 students enrolled at Asheville School represent 21 states and 14 countries. Recent graduates have been accepted to Amherst, Columbia, Davidson, Duke, Elon, Emory, Furman, Georgetown, Harvard, NC State, Rhodes, Sewanee, UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Virginia, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, William & Mary, WashU, Wofford, and Yale among others.