Shakespeare’s World for Junior Artists

This is an open-admission program for all interested students, regardless of their level of experience. Instructors will work with your child to teach them acting skills and techniques, whether they are a beginner or have been acting and performing for years. They do, however, need to be willing to project their voices and act onstage.

Students will be asked to send in a video of themselves doing a 1-minute Shakespeare monologue using vocal projection for the stage. Instructions for submitting the video will be sent closer to the start of the program.  

Please note that this video will not impact your child’s admission to the program; this is an open-admission program for students of all skill levels. Rather, the video will be utilized to determine your child’s skill level and to help with planning for the production that the students will work on.

Please also note that although this is an open admission program (no formal audition is required upon entry), students will have casting auditions at camp after working with faculty.

-Refillable water bottle (very important)

For the field trip:

-A low beach chair or blanket to sit on at the theater (it will be OUTDOOR theater – so bring a sweater or a jacket)

-Money for snacks/ice cream (a “sack lunch” will be provided for a picnic before the show)

For rehearsals and costumes:

-Footwear:  tennis shoes, boots (black or brown), closed-toed dress, ballet flats,  jazz shoes, or character shoes (if you have them, in black, brown, or beige) No sandals, crocs, or flip-flops, please.

-Comfortable clothes you can move in

-Dark legwear (black leggings, black pants and/or long jeans)

-White blouses or shirts (short or long-sleeved)

-Tank tops/undershirts to wear underneath as needed (and for modest quick changes)

-Any Renaissance Fair-type costumes you may have (flowing skirts, cloaks, corset vests, blouses, pants, hats, small purses, bags, etc.)

-You may be required to bring additional items pertaining to the specific production. We will communicate with enrolled students on those needs prior to the program.

Phones and other electronic devices are not allowed during class time in Children’s Center. Day students should not bring a personal device. Residential students should leave devices in their dorm room, or will turn in their device to the teacher during instructional time.

A typical day will involve a group warm up, learning vocal exercises and acting techniques, studying the life and times of William Shakespeare, reading aloud, playing acting games, and watching a video of the play we’ll be doing. 

Students will audition for parts, then the days will be spent developing characters and rehearsing our play scene by scene. If the play calls for it, there will also be rehearsals for stage combat, singing, or choreography. We will have costume fittings, and one or two evening rehearsals during the second week. We will use one day to take a field trip to see a live Shakespearean performance and will stop for ice cream, have a picnic, and meet the actors after the show. Students need to be able to memorize lines and be willing to perform.

Your student will be following this basic schedule each weekday:

Day students should be dropped off at Children’s Center between 8:15 – 8:25 am (breakfast is not included for day students)

Residential Students will be walked to breakfast as a group and then to Children’s Center

8:30 am: Morning Sing/Greeting
9:00 am – 11:20 am: Morning Classes (snack provided)
11:30 am – 12:15 pm: Lunch in the Dining Hall (provided for residential and day students)
12:30 pm – 3:45 pm: Afternoon Classes (snack provided)

Day students should be picked up from Children’s Center at 4:00 pm.

Residential students will be walked as a group to afternoon activities with the RA’s.

Day students will be allowed to use the pool on Tuesday – Friday from 4:00 – 5:45 pm with the supervision of a parent or guardian. (Enrolled children only, please. No siblings or friends.) Lifeguards will be present.

Saturday rehearsals are at the discretion of the teacher. Shakespeare’s World will be meeting on Saturday, July 18 from 9:00-11:30am. One or two evening rehearsals will likely also be called during the second week.

Johanna McKay, has worked extensively with writers and composers to create original plays and musicals which she then directs, and has adapted and directed eleven of Shakespeare’s plays. Her adaptation of “As You Like It” was published by Playscripts, Inc. Johanna is the Curriculum Consultant on the Netflix show “Julie’s Greenroom” which teaches children about the arts. Johanna also teaches theater at Los Angeles City College and directs and teaches for P.S. Arts, a non-profit group that integrates the arts into underfunded public schools in the Los Angeles area. She spends her summers at Idyllwild Fine Arts Camp directing musicals, Shakespearean adaptations, and original plays generated by the students. She has also taught acting and improvisation at UCLA. Johanna has trained with The Groundlings, earned her B.F.A from The Theatre School, DePaul University, and her M.F.A. in theater, film and television from UCLA. Besides film and television, Johanna’s acting credits include work at Steppenwolf, The Goodman, Dallas Theatre Center, San Jose Repertory Theatre, and The Rubicon Theatre in Ventura, California.

Judy Heneghan has acted, directed, written plays, and taught both acting and improv for more than 20 years. Judy’s musical credits include being the lead singer of R&B Band, Blue in the Face, in Ireland; she also has numerous musical theater credits. Judy has taught Improvisation Story Theatre in Ireland, Minneapolis, and Los Angeles (LA). She was a teaching artist at the Aaron Copeland Music and Arts Camp in New York. At Idyllwild Arts, Judy has taught Page to Stage, Improvisation Comedy, and Theatre of Myth. Alongside Johanna McKay, she has taught Shakespeare’s World and “The Play’s The Thing.” Judy co-wrote/created and performs as Olive in the long-running comedy musical The Martini & Olive Show, touring theaters and comedy clubs throughout the country.

Check out our Kids & Teens FAQ’s to learn more about our summer programs