Visiting Group Program
Study with Shakespeare Artists and Scholars

THE PLAY:  GENRE/CONCEPT/DESIGN/CHARACTERS DISCUSSION/LECTURE - NEW!

In a tailored to your needs discussion with a Shakespearean and dramatic literature scholar, learn about an Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) play production: its history, traditional setting, plot, characters, production choices, language, genre, etc...  Max of 60 students accepted.

POST PLAY DISCUSSION -NEW!

A Shakespearean scholar helps examine and discuss the plays and productions that your group has attended at OSF this season.  Max of 60 students per session accepted.

SHAKESPEARE ON FILM LECTURE/DISCUSSION

WHAT THE ACTORS SAY ABOUT PLAYING KING LEAR LECTURE/DISCUSSION - NEW!

Taken from personal interviews of Kevin Kline, Stacy Keach, and William Hutt, Mary Maher talks about how hallmark actors have approached this monumental Shakespearean role---with some fascinating stories to tell along the way. .  “A light and lively introduction to the play on the OSF campus this year.” This lecture works well for seasoned and experienced theatergoers.

SHAKESPEARE'S LANGUAGE LECTURE/DISCUSSION

Why is Shakespeare not simply 'translated' into modern English? What did Shakespeare add to the language? How did Shakespeare's speeches sound to his first audiences, and how do we know how they sounded? Available for up to 60 students per session.

WHAT I NOW KNOW ABOUT ACTING LECTURE/DISCUSSION

Dr. Mary Z. Maher has written 3 books on performing Shakespeare sharing her interviews with international favorites including Kevin Kline, Ben Kingsley, Kenneth Branagh, Derek Jacobi, Zoe Caldwell and Stacy Keach, Now she shares this treasure trove of  collected talents, tactics, and tales: from stage fright to the inevitable issue of Shakespearean verse.  Available for up to 60 students per session.

DANCE OF THE BRITISH ISLES

Discover dance of Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and England, Scotland, and Ireland. Enjoy English country dance, soar with the sense of flight of Scottish jigs and reels, experience foot-stomping, toe-tapping Irish ceili dances, and others.

RENAISSANCE DANCE

An expert dancer shares his/her knowledge of court and country dances of the Renaissance through lessons in cinquepaces, bergomasks, galliards and other dances.

THEATRICAL MAKEUP

An actor demonstrates some skills and secrets of the makeup artist's craft using volunteers from the class. If requested in advance, class can focus on a specific area of the craft. Available for up to 60 students however the smaller size of 40 is recommended.

MUSIC OF SHAKESPEARE'S TIME

Ever heard a krummhorn, gittern, pipe and tabor?  Enjoy a blast from the past, as master OSF musician Sue Carney plays an array of seldom-heard historic instruments of Shakespeare’s time, and answers your questions about music through the ages. Available for up to 60 students per session.

This interactive presentation puts the class in charge, as Sue fields questions about all aspects of our musical past, present, and future. The resulting discussion explores many subjects- from the origins of music and its effect on the brain, to the invention of instruments and the role of singing in modern life. Ideally, the group leaves with more questions than they came with, and the discussion often continues long after the class is over, as students make new connections between their personal journeys and the fascinating world of the past.

Connects easily with your school’s curricula: music, theater, Shakespeare studies, literature, humanities, history, prehistory, archeology, natural history, biology, brain science, acoustics, and more. Contact Sue at 
http://www.musical-origins.com for help preparing your class in advance.

JUMP START THEATRE

Gain an inside view of theatrical performance in a lively beginner’s interactive workshop led by one of our experienced actor/teachers.

STAGE COMBAT WORKSHOP

A certified stage combatant leads you safely through some of the steps and skills of hand-to-hand stage combat. Please specify which workshop level you are requesting.

WOMEN AND SWORDS WORKSHOP

Do you see MEN when you visualize a sword fight?  This 110 minute workshop melds the worlds of martial arts, dance and theatre as you explore the history of women and swords and their relationship to the stage and the traditional male/female roles.  Observe a ten minute sword fight between two women; partner with a fellow student to learn some basic stage combat moves; and finally enjoy a PowerPoint on the history of women, swords and theatre.   Available in the 110 minute format only.

ACTOR'S LAB

Set your brain free, have faith in the playful and possibly irreverent side of your imagination and abandon judging yourself and others, as we play and story-tell together in an active, playful session.

YE OLDE PROJECT RUNWAY

Learn about Elizabethan and Renaissance silhouettes and costumes, then create them from newspaper and tape. Students will work together in small groups, with one student from each group acting as Merry Olde’s next top model. Limited availability, one-hour session only.

Workshop Booking Information

SOU workshops for visiting groups are offered at the rate of $120 per scheduled hour of class, available in 50-80- and 100-minute sessions.  Unless noted on your Workshop Request Form, all workshops will be scheduled for one academic hour. We arrange our workshops to fit your schedule, mornings, afternoons, and evenings, seven days a week. All workshops are available to groups staying on or off campus. Except as otherwise noted, the maximum class size is 40: larger groups must be divided to be accommodated.