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In-School Programs

Our year-round education programs enrich the lives of young people in our community by nurturing an early appreciation for Shakespeare. Shakespeare’s texts are part of the core curriculum for all students, engaging students interactively and giving them the opportunity to live and breathe Shakespeare’s stories and characters.

Experience the stories of the greatest playwright of all time shared by teaching artists in your classroom. All workshops are taught by professional actors and teaching artists experienced in Shakespeare’s texts and history.

In addition to our own full complement of classes, Heart of America Shakespeare Festival is also a proud member of Kansas City Arts Partners, a sequential arts-in-education program for grades K-12, integrating our community’s arts resources into the curriculum of Greater Kansas City area school districts.

For questions or to discuss workshop details or customization, please contact HASF Director of Education, Matt Rapport, at mrapport@kcshakes.org or (816) 531-7728

Live and virtual workshops available:

Bard Basics: an introduction to Shakespeare 
Bard Basics is an exciting way to introduce students of all ages to the Elizabethan world through the eyes of William Shakespeare. In addition to learning about Shakespeare’s life and times, professional Teaching Artists will guide students through basic acting techniques and exercises culminating in a presentation of scenes and monologues from a Shakespeare classic.
Grades K-12. 90 minutes. $150.00

Virtual Option: Virtual workshop requires internet access; HASF uses the Zoom platform. If requested, Teaching Artists will use your school’s preferred platform. All workshops customizable to fulfill curriculum criteria and classroom teacher requirements.

Shakespeare Off the Cuff: The Art of Improvisation
Shakespeare Off the Cuff is an introduction to the world of improvisational acting. Every student will get on their feet and work with their classmates and our professional Teaching Artists to learn the basics of creating characters, gaining self-confidence and utilizing their imagination. Students will participate in acting games that do not rely on any scripts.
Grades K-12. 60 minutes, $100.00. 90 minutes, $150.00

Virtual Option: Virtual workshop requires internet access; HASF uses the Zoom platform. If requested, Teaching Artists will use your school’s preferred platform. All workshops customizable to fulfill curriculum criteria and classroom teacher requirements.

Shakespeare Scavenger Hunt
This dynamic and interactive workshop begins with students learning skills and exercises fundamental to Shakespearean acting. Once they have the basics, students will then be given suggestions based on plot points, events, characters, and props found in Shakespeare’s plays. With those tools they will create a brand new “Shakespeare” play through group interaction and cooperation. The new play will then be performed at the end of the session.
Grades 3-12. 120 minutes. $200.00

Virtual Option: Virtual workshop requires internet access; HASF uses the Zoom platform. If requested, Teaching Artists will use your school’s preferred platform. All workshops customizable to fulfill curriculum criteria and classroom teacher requirements.

En Garde, Bard! Stage Combat – Updated for the virtual classroom!
Learn the art of stage combat from the masters at Heart of America Shakespeare Festival. Our professional Teaching Artists will bring this interactive lesson directly to your virtual classroom. Students will learn the basic techniques of armed and unarmed stage combat used on stages and screens around the world. Students will be on their feet and moving during the workshop, gaining physical confidence, enhancing hand-eye coordination, and having fun!
Grades 4-12. 60 minutes, $100.00. 90 minutes, $150.00

Virtual Option: Virtual workshop requires internet access; HASF uses the Zoom platform. If requested, Teaching Artists will use your school’s preferred platform. All workshops customizable to fulfill curriculum criteria and classroom teacher requirements.

Sonnet ShakeUP
Sonnet ShakeUP is a writing workshop that will give students all the tools they need to write their own sonnets. Teachers will give a brief history of the sonnet and guide students as they learn to express themselves through this centuries old style of poetry. This workshop will help students prepare for our annual Sonnet Competition
Grades 4-12. 60 minutes, $100.00. 90 minutes, $150.00

Virtual Option: Virtual workshop requires internet access; HASF uses the Zoom platform. If requested, Teaching Artists will use your school’s preferred platform. All workshops customizable to fulfill curriculum criteria and classroom teacher requirements.

Romeo and Juliet: Fortune’s Fools
Teaching artists interactively bring to life the story of Romeo and Juliet. Students will be given the opportunity to role play alongside the teaching artists and use their imaginations to tell Shakespeare’s tale and gain a greater understanding of this timeless work. Problem-solving and conflict resolution skills can be explored in depth as the students turn the tables and decide what could have happened next. Students will work in small groups to focus closely on specific aspects of the play.
Grades 7-12. 90 minutes. $150.00

Virtual Option: Virtual workshop requires internet access; HASF uses the Zoom platform. If requested, Teaching Artists will use your school’s preferred platform. All workshops customizable to fulfill curriculum criteria and classroom teacher requirements.

Hamlet: The Play’s the Thing! 
This interactive workshop prepares students for the study of Hamlet by exploring the famous quotes in Hamlet. Students will work together with professional Teaching Artists to find the meanings of the lines and how to perform them. This program is perfect for any class that is beginning the study of Hamlet.
Grades 7-12. 90 minutes. $150.00

Virtual Option: Virtual workshop requires internet access; HASF uses the Zoom platform. If requested, Teaching Artists will use your school’s preferred platform. All workshops customizable to fulfill curriculum criteria and classroom teacher requirements.

Julius Caesar: The Art of Argumentation! 
The story of Julius Caesar is a dynamic backdrop for students to explore the power of persuasion and reality of rhetoric. Professional Teaching Artists offer an inspiring glimpse into the world of the play. Students will work in smaller groups to come up with their own version of the events of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.
Grades 7-12. 90 minutes. $150.00

Virtual Option: Virtual workshop requires internet access; HASF uses the Zoom platform. If requested, Teaching Artists will use your school’s preferred platform. All workshops customizable to fulfill curriculum criteria and classroom teacher requirements.

Shakespeare: Villains and Heroes
The Heart of America Shakespeare Festival presents Shakespeare: Villains and Heroes live at your school or organization. Our touring education performances nurture an appreciation for the art of theatre and the work of William Shakespeare. This program is intended to complement the work that is being done in the classroom, but is also an enjoyable hour of theatre for anyone. Students and others are provided with an experience that creates a unique world of the play and sheds light on the meaning of some of Shakespeare’s most influential texts.