Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival brings kids and the stage together

Each summer the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival demonstrates the timelessness of Shakespeare's works to kids of all ages with its free educational outreach programs. They are conducted this year in collaboration with the Nevada Shakespeare Company, the only professional, non-profit theatre company in the state. Beginning July 24, the D.G. Menchetti Young Shakespeare performances are held at area amphitheaters, community centers and parks throughout Reno-Sparks, Carson City and Lake Tahoe communities and this year feature the enduring masterpiece Romeo & Juliet.

"Educating youth about theater and the importance of arts in the community is a driving force of our organization and we're very excited to be expanding our Young Shakespeare outreach so significantly this season, especially in collaboration with the Nevada Shakespeare Company," said Catherine Atack, executive director of the Festival. "By presenting such a well known classroom favorite this year with Romeo & Juliet, and by offering the InterACT Workshops, our goal is to appeal to a wider youth audience and provide workshops using text from this year's educational curriculum in order to best aid regional teachers."

Advance reservations are required for all performances. The Young Shakespeare program is made possible in part by Chair Emeritus, Geno Menchetti, the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival and the Nevada Shakespeare Company. All performances are free for children and chaperones. To reserve space for the Young Shakespeare performances, visit LakeTahoeShakespeare.com or call (775) 832-1616.

New for this year, the festival has expanded its educational program to include in-school outreach with its InterACT Workshop Series offered free to qualified schools and youth organizations.

InterACT, available for booking throughout the academic year and summer holiday season, is a series of dynamic humanities-based workshops that are highly interactive and feature activities to help students understand the themes of Shakespeare's works as well as the world of theatre. Combining the skills of a licensed classroom teacher with that of seasoned theater professionals, InterACT workshops are carefully crafted to meet the specific needs of the students by engaging them in acting games and discussions, with the culmination of the course being a live performance of selected scenes. Through the workshops, students develop critical and creative thinking skills as they bring Shakespeare's written word to life.

"The Nevada Shakespeare Company is proud to be working closely with the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival to develop this year's educational outreach program targeted for youth, in an effort to expand their awareness of the arts," said Cameron Crain, president of the Nevada Shakespeare Company. "With arts education being a critical component in today's curriculum, having the opportunity to provide a program that allows the kids to become involved is so valuable and it can really ignite a spark in those that are interested in the theatrical arts."

The regular Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival season begins on July 12 and continues through Aug. 19. Tickets start at $22 for open seating tiers and range in options up to the premier Reserved Seating section from $67. For tickets and information about the 2007 Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival at Sand Harbor, including membership, volunteer and employment opportunities, call 800-74-SHOWS (800-747-4697) or visit online.