Shakespeare & Company Training Programs

Training Programs

Theater artists and devotees from around the world seek out Shakespeare & Company’s exceptional training programs to discover the power of their voices through spoken word, and to fully delve into their imaginations, intellects, and emotional lives.

Shakespeare’s language provides a framework for participants from all walks of life to learn new pathways of expression, as well as to better understand fundamental questions of what it means to be human. Through the guidance and experience of highly trained educators, the power of the language is explored and revealed to professionals and enthusiasts alike through a variety of voice, text, and movement programs.

WHAT DISTINGUISHES SHAKESPEARE & COMPANY’S TRAINING FROM OTHER PROGRAMS?

• The belief that we all have important contributions to make to the field of theater is at the core of our philosophy. It supports everyone in finding a personal connection to, confidence in, and command of Shakespeare’s language.

• We are an inclusive and heart-centered community, steeped in a history of championing, strengthening, and freeing diverse voices.

• All faculty members are alumni of our signature program, the Month-long Intensive. All have been mentored by the founding artists of Shakespeare & Company.

• The faculty are prolific theater professionals: acting, directing, coaching, and teaching across the country.

SOME OF OUR NOTABLE ALUMNI

Karen Allen • Lauren Ambrose

Caroline Clay • Kellen Goff • Miriam Hyman

Andie MacDowell • Annette Miller

Manu Narayan • Oliver Platt • Keanu Reeves

Alex Sgambati • Alicia Silverstone

John Douglas Thompson • Courtney B. Vance

Sigourney Weaver • Raquel Welch

For more information on supporting Shakespeare & Company’s Training Programs, contact Director of Development Sunie Gorey at sgorey@shakespeare.org, or 413.637.1199 ext. 180. Learn more at shakespeare.org/actor-training.

January Month-long Intensive, 2024.

Photo by Christina Lane.

Training Programs

YEAR-ROUND PROGRAMMING

MONTH-LONG INTENSIVE

Shakespeare & Company’s Month-long Intensive is internationally acclaimed, offering professional artists the opportunity to rigorously hone their craft six days a week in January. From morning to night, participants immerse themselves in voice, movement, text, the essential connection between actor and audience, and more.

SPECIALTY WORKSHOPS

SUMMER SHAKESPEARE INTENSIVE

Modeled after the Month-long Intensive, the Summer Shakespeare Intensive provides college theater students and emerging artists with a transformative, four-week training experience. Held during our vibrant summer performance season, participants engage in rigorous study and performance of Shakespeare six days a week, laying the foundation for the next generation of theater artists.

Offered throughout the year both in person and online, Specialty Workshops provide opportunities for participants of all backgrounds to train with our worldclass faculty. Topics include audition preparation, voice and movement, stage violence, and more — welcoming theater artists and curious learners from around the world.

WEEKEND INTENSIVES

Weekend Intensives are dynamic, two-day workshops designed to introduce participants to the aesthetic and approach of Shakespeare & Company’s training programs. Held in cities across the country including New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta and beyond, these programs are open to theater professionals, students, and anyone with an interest in Shakespeare, performance, or creative exploration.

Photos by Christina Lane.