Thoughts on educational activities with The Acting Company

On March 4 and 5, Sangamon Auditorium was pleased to host a visit by The Acting Company which included some immersive educational activites in addition to a fabulous production of Romeo & Juliet. Thursday included two workshops led by Acting Company members and presented in collaboration with UIS Theatre. An afternoon UIS class was treated to a Stage Combat workshop and an evening group of UIS students, cast members, and community members was treated to a workshop entitled "Acting Clues in Shakespeare".

Regarding the workshops, theatre faculty member Missy Thibodeaux-Thompson said the following:

"It was great that the movement workshop, in particular, reinforced ideas & concepts that have been introduced in class. The students also said in class last week that they really felt it helped them "bond" together as a class. They also got a kick out of seeing ME participate (rather than always lead). All of them said they LOVED the workshop (aside from the incredibly sore thighs for a couple of days afterwards!)

I was very impressed with how Isaac structured the workshop in such a way as to easily bring inexperienced students into the world of acting/performing. He was very inclusive, encouraging, and accepting. After participating in his workshop, I plan to incorporate some sort of brief combat "mini-workshop day" into my Principles of Acting class in the future.

These types of workshops complement and enhance our students' experiences. They can take what they are learning and experiencing in the classroom, and be exposed to concepts & ideas from outside sources that support what they are learning."

On Friday, March 5, 1100 high school students attended a matinee performance of Romeo & Juliet, part of the Auditorium's Class Acts Performing Arts Series for Youth, followed by an evening performance for the public.

Acting Company member Myxolydia Tyler posted a blog about the company's experiences in Springfield on the Acting Company's Facebook page. As it turns out, the value of these educational experiences was as rich for the Acting Company members as it was for our local participants. We're glad Sangamon Auditorium can be a part of these experiences for artists at all levels.

Read Myxolydia's blog