Shakespeare in American communities

2005·2.6 MB·English

by  National Endowment for the Arts

Endowment
National Arts
for the
SHAKESPEARE
AMERICAN COMMUNITIES
IN
Engagement with great poetry in a dramatic
setting is one of the most important learning
we
opportunities can provide young people
in this country. These experiences develop
intelligence on many levels and impact
students' lives far beyond the English
Literature classroom. They not only improve
language skills, but also awaken empathy
for others, and thus help to define the
aesthetic and ethical standards of a culture.
—
&
Tina Packer, artistic director, Shakespeare
Company
The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting
excellence in the arts, both new and established; bringing the arts to all
Americans; and providing leadership in arts education. Established by Congress
in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government, the Endowment is
the nations largest annual funder of the arts, bringing great art to all 50 states,
Agreatnation
deservesgreatart. including rural areas, inner cities, and military bases.
Arts Midwest connects people throughout the Midwest and the world to
meaningful arts opportunities, sharing creativity, knowledge, and understanding
D W E S T across boundaries. One ofsix non-profit regional arts organizations in the United
States, Arts Midwest's history spans more than 25 years.
COVER: The Shakespeare Theatre Company's production of The Tempest.
PHOTO BY RICHARD TERMINE
CHAIRMAN'S MESSAGE
Since 2003 the National Endowment for the Arts has supported the
largest government-sponsored theatrical program since the Federal
WPA
Theatre Project of the era. Shakespeare in American Communities is
an initiative that helps fund theater companies to tour new productions of
Shakespeare. It started modestly as the biggest tour of Shakespeare in
—
American history but it has grown.
The NEA Shakespeare program has now involved more than 65
theater companies from more than 35 states. It has provided work for well
over 1,000 actors (not counting all the directors, designers, costumers,
and crew). It already has sponsored performances in more than 1,700
municipalities across all 50 states, including small towns, inner-city
—
neighborhoods, and military bases and the number of cities visited
grows every month. Hundreds of presenters have booked the plays, many
of them offering a production of serious drama for the first time. Most
important, almost a million high school students have now seen a
professional production of Shakespeare. For many of these kids this
performance marked their first experience with professional spoken
theater.
The Shakespeare in American Communities program works like other
NEA
grant categories. Individual theater companies apply to join the Chairman Gioia at the
program, and their applications are reviewed by an independent panel of Shakespeare in American
Communities celebration
theater professionals. The companies choose the plays they want to tour, on Capitol Hill.
make all the artistic decisions from the production concept to the casting, PHOTO BY STEVEN PURCELL
and line up schools for touring performances or to bring students into the
theater. The NEA and our partner, Arts Midwest, coordinate the granting
process and create collateral materials to support the companies in their
activities.
The NEA created free classroom materials, including films, an audio
guide, a teachers guide, and more, to support teaching Shakespeare in
high schools. These educational materials have been used by more than
16 million students to enhance their understanding and appreciation for
the language and theatricality of Shakespeare's plays.
Our goal with Shakespeare in American Communities, indeed with all
of our National Initiatives, is to combine arts presentation with arts
education while bringing the best in the arts to the broadest possible
audience.
C^Bw,^''
Dana Gioia
Chairman, National Endowment for the Arts
SHAKESPEARE IN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES
1
'
1 Shakespeare above
is all
writers. .the poet of nature;
.
up
the poet that holds to his
readers a faithful mirrour of
manners and
of ))
life.
—
Samuel Johnson
SHAKESPEARE IN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES
2
ABOUT
SHAKESPEARE
AMERICAN
IN
COMMUNITIES
How
Started
it
It was audacious from the start. Then
itjust got bigger.
"It" was Shakespeare in
American Communities, the largest
tour of Shakespeare in American
The Acting Company's
history. First announcing the program performance of Shakespeare, but production of Richard III in
on April 23, 2003 (William has reached many millions more Phase I of Shakespeare in
American Communities.
Shakespeare's 439th birthday),
through multimedia educational
PHOTO BY RICHARD TERMINE
National Endowment for the Arts
toolkits available free to teachers.
Chairman Dana Gioia revealed the From inner cities to rural towns to
agency's ambition to "revitalize the
military bases, Shakespeare in
longstanding Ameri—can theatrical American Communities continues
tradition of touring bringing the to support new productions by
best of live theater to new audiences." hundreds of American theater
An advisory board of distinguished
artists and represents the Arts
American authors and artists known Endowment's commitment to artistic
as the Players' Guild was formed.
excellence and public outreach.
This group included such luminaries
as critic Harold Bloom, directorJulie Reviving an American
Taymor, and actors Michael York and
Tradition
James Earl Jones. Topping that
impressive roster were Mrs. Laura America's love affair with Shakespeare
Bush and then-Motion Picture predates its establishment as a nation.
Association of America President and Colonists often included volumes of
CEO, the lateJack Valenti. The latter Shakespeare among the few and
two agreed to serve as honorary treasured possessions that they
chairs for the project. carried with them on their passage to
—
Once it was launched, there the new world to the astonishment
was no reining this program in. of European visitors like Alexis dc
Shakespeare in American Tocqueville. Throughout the Nth
Communities spread across the century Shakespeare remained the
country, introducing a new generation most popular author in America. His
of Americans to the greatest writer in plays were frequently celebrated in
the English language. Over the past opulent theaters and on makeshift
four years it has brought superb live stages in saloons, churches, and
theater to more than 1,700 towns hotels across the country
across all 50 states, reaching new Throughout most of our history the
audiences in communities that have majority ol Americans from ever)
little opportunity to experience live, social class and various ethnic
professional theater. backgrounds knew his most famous
The NEAs Shakespeare program speeches by heart Only in the 20th
has brought almost one million century did Shakespeares relationship
students to a professional with the American public begin to
SHAKESPEARE IN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES
————
change. His plays gradually began to together and inspired a renewed
be regarded as high rather than interest in the theatrical arts.
popular culture. The once universally The program also has received
accessible dramatist had become our enthusiastic recognition in hundreds
—
most sacred dramatist to whom of publications, including articles in
most audiences were not able to The Christian Science Monitor, The
relate. Wall StreetJournal, USA Today, The
Although he remains the most New York Times, Readers Digest, The
widely produced playwright in New Criterion, and American Theatre
America, many of our youth have had magazine.
few opportunities to experience high- Theater companies participating
quality presentations of Shakespeare. in the national tour made a special
Until now. effort to visit schools, supplementing
their performances with workshops,
The National Tour - Phase lectures, and other activities in each
I
community. The Arts Endowment
The Arts Endowment didn't know it
supported this goal with the creation
then, but its ambitious year-long tour
of the Shakespeare in American
of six companies through all 50 states
Communities teacher toolkit, a
eventually would come to be known
multimedia educational resource
as "Phase 1" because the program
distributed free to teachers
would continue to grow. It began in
nationwide. Educational efforts were
September 2003 with six companies,
also supplemented by The Sallie Mae
selected to carry out performances
Fund, which supported 50 free tickets
and educational activities in all 50
for students at each performance
states through November 2004:
while also underwriting other
• The Acting Company
(New York, NY)—Richard 111 Shakespeare in American Communities
activities.
• Aquila Theatre Company
(New York, NY)—Othello By the end of the first phase, the
program had reached many unlikely
• Arkansas Repertory Theatre
Alabama Shakespeare Festival's places, including a military base in
(Little Rock, AR) Romeo and
production of Macbeth was taken Hawaii where Artists Repertory
to 13 military installations. Juliet Theatre performed a bilingual
PHOTO BY PHIL SCARSBROOK • Artists Repertory Theatre
production ofA Midsummer Nights
(Portland, OR) A Midsummer-
Dream. That production featured
Night's Dream
actors from the Central Dramatic
• Chicago Shakespeare Theatre
Company of Vietnam. Chicago
(Chicago, 1L) Romeo and
Shakespeare Theater performed
Juliet
Romeo andJuliet in small-town
• Guthrie Theater
Waycross, Georgia, where the
MN)
(Minneapolis, Othello
community promoted it as
"Shakespeare in the Swamp."
The six companies eventually visited
172 communities in all 50 states, NEA Meets DOD: An Historic
reaching audiences totaling nearly
Partnership
200,000. Special attention was paid
to reaching small and mid-sized In an unprecedented effort to make
towns with limited access to the the National Endowment for the Arts
performing arts. From Anchorage, truly national, the NEA decided to
Alaska to Boone, North Carolina, create the first program in its history
performances brought communities dedicated to reaching military
SHAKESPEARE IN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES
4
a
personnel and their families. Needless appreciation. Military personnel
to say, that plan turned some heads brought their families; young couples
and spawned some doubters. made it a date night. The action-
—
Shakespeare was about to join the packed soldiers tale ofMacbeth
ranks of Bob Hope and the Dallas story of power, scheming, and
—
Cowboy Cheerleaders as ambition held audiences spellbound.
entertainment for the troops. And the As one military spouse at
bard more than held his own. Holloman Air Force Base stated,
Professional Shakespeare "Tonight for the first time in many
productions were presented at bases in years, I have had the pure joy of
14 states for military personnel and being a part of a theatrical journey
their families. According to Chairman into another time and place, and I
Gioia, "We currently have the best was able to share it with my two
educated military in the history of the young daughters... At intermission,
.
United States. Ifwe are truly going to my nine-year-old daughter said
fulfill our charge of bringing art of happily, 'Mommie, I get it! It's
indisputable excellence to all Shakespeare and I get it!' She and my
Americans, we have to reach into five-year-old, who not only sat still for
communities where we've never gone (my main concern!) but also enjoyed
before." the performance will remember this
To the surprise of both the arts when they are my age. Thank you all
and political worlds, the NEA sought so much for bringing this fantastic
and achieved a successful partnership production to a small community in
with the Department of Defense southern New Mexico that otherwise
(DoD). In September 2004, with a $1 would never be exposed to such
million appropriation from DoD, the quality. You have genuinely touched
Arts Endowment visited 18 military our family"
bases with professional, fully staged
performances of Shakespeare, along New
Shakespeare for a
with related educational activities for
Generation - Phase
II
military families.
Alabama Shakespeare Festival After nearly a year of touring, it
was selected to tour its production of became clear that there was a vast and
Macbeth to 13 military installations eager audience for what Shakespeare
(the other five bases were visited by in American Communities was
the Aquila Theatre Company, The providing. So why not keep going?
Acting Company, and Artists Why not zero in even more on a new
Why
Repertory Theatre). Performances generation of theatergoers? not
were accompanied by educational hook them on a lifelong engagement
workshops for base youth whenever with the power of live theater, the
possible. As most bases did not have wonders of the English language, and
a conventional theater, performances the masterpieces of William
were presented in movie theaters, Shakespeare? The summer of 2004
auditoriums, and in one case, an saw the launch of the next phase of
airplane hangar shared with fighter Shakespeare in American
jets. Communities: Shakespeare for a
The tour was enthusiastically New Generation
received by military audiences. Movie The program grew from the initial
theater venues offered popcorn and national tour ol six companies to an
sodas, and the crowd was vocal in its annual affair main tunes that original
SHAKESPEARE IN AMERICAN COMMUNITII s
—
a
The prestige of a Shakespeare for
New
a Generation grant has allowed
theater companies to leverage new
connections with funders as well as
teachers, school boards, and local arts
agencies. A prime example of this
success has been the Atlanta
Shakespeare Company, which as a
As part ofCalifornia direct result of its grant now works
Shakespeare Theater's with every high school in the city of
Student Discovery size, with some 35 companies Atlanta. According to the theater
program, students involved each year. Selected
company, "The City of Atlanta's
participate in a post-show companies receive grants of
discussion with the cast of Bureau of Cultural Affairs and the
As You Like It. approximately $25,000 to support Atlanta Public Schools are now citing
PHOTO BY JAY YAMADA performances and related educational this program as an example of what
activities designed to deepen the
they would like to do with every
appreciation and understanding of
grade level in the Atlanta Public
Shakespeare for participating
Schools system. Thanks to
students. Shakespeare for a New Generation we
Through the first four years,
had the opportunity to form
Shakespeare for a New Generation
partnerships with the leadership,
has awarded 128 competitive grants,
administration, and board of Atlanta
supporting the work of more than 65
Public Schools while deepening our
theater companies, employing more
relationship with the City of Atlanta's
than 1,000 actors, directors, and crew,
Bureau of Cultural Affairs."
in bringing Shakespeare to life for
almost one million students.
Investing in Live Theater
Shakespeare for a New
Companies, Actors,
Generation has enabled theater
Audiences
companies to offer more
performances to schools for free or "To-morrow, and to-morrow,
for radically reduced rates. It has and to-morrow"
expanded the geographic reach of -Macbeth
their touring programs and provided
improved access to the arts for As it grows, the Shakespeare program
underserved schools. Models for continues to reach across the whole
teacher training and the design of eco-system of American theater. "It
study materials have been established provides high-quality employment for
or improved upon, and the artistic actors," remarked Chairman Gioia,
output among the most competitive "as well as support for theater
theater companies who apply has companies, superb performances for
— —
been further enhanced. new audiences, and best of all
New
Shakespeare for a chance for students to see the play
Generation will help build future they are studying in school." For
audiences by educating and inspiring most of these students, the NEA-
students to become informed sponsored Shakespeare performance
theatergoers, and perhaps even active will be their first experience of live,
participants within the arts and civic professional theater, a perfect gateway
organizations that bring distinction to to a lifetime of enjoying the
their communities. performing arts.
SHAKESPEARE IN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES
SHAKESPEARE NtflONM-
IN
AMERICAN
COMMUNITIES
TEACHER TOOLKIT
The NEA has created a kit with
everything a teacher might need to
bring Shakespeare alive in middle-
and high-school classrooms. The box
set contains, among other things, an
audio CD, two award-winning films,
recitation contest, and posters,
especially created as a coherent
curriculum. These items were
designed as a fresh, enlivened,
—
relevant series of lessons after all,
you can't teach theater without a little
movies as Shakespeare in Love,
showbiz. Free to any teacher, and
Elizabeth, and JO Things I Hate
with almost 45,000 copies requested
About You. Hosted and narrated by
to date (reaching more than 16
two talented actors from
million students), this toolkit has
Washington, DCs Shakespeare
proven an important part of the
Theatre Company, the video
American high school curriculum.
fashions these clips into an
exploration of Shakespeares life,
Highlights
Elizabethan society, theater in "As a teacher, I have been
• An Introduction to Shakespeare Shakespeares day, the stories that especially grateful for the
(Audio-guide). This compact disc inspired the plays, Shakespeares curricular materials. The
features the voices ofJames Earl characters, the beauty of his posters adorn my classroom,
Jones, Harold Bloom, Mel Gibson, language, and the influence his and have gotten great use
I
Vaclav Havel, Michael York, Jane work has had in the United States out of the films and CD in
Alexander, and Zooey Deschanel, and around the world. my elective class. My
immersing students in Elizabethan Why Shakespeare? (DVD). This students just recently
language and theater. A highlight award-winning film by Larry memorized and presented
is a segment exploring of the Bridges is a fascinating look at how the Recitation Contest
possibilities of performance, in becoming involved in theater can monologues in
which Jones, York, and Gibson transform kids' lives. Focusing on class; what an exciting
each take a turn (with very Shakespeare Festival/LAs program experience!"
different results!) at Hamlets for at-risk kids in East Los Angeles, —feachei i apitolia, CA
famous "To be or not to be" Why Shakespeare? also leatures
soliloquy. recitations and commentarj b\
• Shakespeare in Our Time (VHS). Tom Hanks. William Shatner.
This award-winning film by Martin Sheen. Bill Pullman. Julie
&
Hillman Carr proves the faymor, Christina Applegate, and
relevance of Shakespeare today Chiwetel Ejiofor. The film is tunny
through the creative weaving of insightful, and deeply moving.
more than 50 clips from feature Why Shakespeare? answers the
films, stage and television title's question, showing students
performances of Shakespeare's the best reasons to Stud)
plays, and from such related Shakespeare.
SHAKESPEARE IN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES
HIGHLIGHTS
FROM
SHAKESPEARE
AMERICAN
IN
AMERICAN PLAYERS
COMMUNITIES
THEATRE
(SPRING GREEN, Wl)
than
i < i '
professional theater
companies haw Each year, American Players Theatre
brings as many as 16,000 students
participated
from Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, and
Shakespeat
Minnesota into their Spring Green,
American Commumtu
Wisconsin, theater to experience a
While they share a
matinee performance of a mainstage
common ground u Shakespeare production. One
work of William production also is re-mounted to tour
Shakespeare, each has to seven Wisconsin communities,
reached out to th< reaching an additional 7,500 students,
audiences in uniqu* many of whom are from rural or
iting way urban areas. Performances are
accompanied by workshops that
llowin\ amplit
introduce students to themes of the
of the mat)
plays and explore various techniques
ito) its
used to make the story, language,
characters, and themes vivid and
accessible to students.
u
AQUILA THEATRE
It is truly rewarding to watch as even the most
COMPANY
reluctant student becomes swept up in the
language of the play, making connections (NEW YORK, NY)
between what they read in class, what they
see on stage, and what they experience in life. « « On September 20, 2003, Aquila
— Theatre Company kicked off the
American Players Theatre
national tour of Shakespeare in
American Players
American Communities with a
Theatre's production
performance of Othello for audiences
of Twelfth Night.
PHOTO BY ZANE WILLIAMS in New London, Connecticut, before
moving on to another 59 cities as part
of the tour. As a participant also in
Shakespeare for a New Generation,
Aquilas long tradition of national
touring has enabled the company to
bring Shakespeare in American
Communities performances to
thousands of students in underserved
communities across the United States.
COMMUNITIES