REGISTRATION FORMS ARE BELOW. Scroll all the way down to the bottom of this page.
We are a professional educational program that brings the brilliance and fun of William Shakespeare’s works to students of all ages.
Much Ado combines specialty workshops in varied performance skills with a fun rehearsal process that culminates in a grand performance for family and friends.
Experience the joy of Performing Shakespeare!
Come play and learn
in The Bard’s world of ingenious silliness
and breathtaking eloquence.
Join us on our playful and exciting journey to performing Shakespeare.
We will challenge ourselves in all the arts of Shakespearean performance, explore and rehearse a Shakespearean masterpiece, and finally celebrate our journey in a fantastic performance!
The Rehearsals
“The play’s the thing”
Using all our new skills, we dive into the play! We’ll bring our characters to life; exploring the world of the play and discovering the relationships that make up the lives of every character. Each class group will focus on a particular Shakespearean play in the
original Shakespearean English, edited to create a script of reasonable length for our students.
Our recent productions have included:
A Midsummer Night’s Dream * MacBeth
Twelfth Night * As You Like It * The Tempest
Taming of the Shrew * Much Ado About Nothing
Love’s Labour’s Lost * Hamlet * Comedy of Errors
Romeo and Juliet * The Winter’s Tale
Merry Wives of Windsor * Henry IV Part 1
The Specialty Workshops
“A course of learning and ingenious studies.”
The program begins with specialty workshops that introduce and develop skills to be used in the rehearsal process and final production. Depending on the needs of the production, we’ll challenge ourselves in many of the following disciplines:
Elizabethan Dance and Movement
Elizabethan Song * Acting * Improvisation
Speech/Voice * Text Analysis * Stage Combat
Physical Comedy and Clowning
Historical Exploration of Elizabethan Life
Creative Characterization * Juggling
Stage Make-up * Prop-Making
The Great Rewards
“O, what learning is!”
The academic and personal benefits for the students can be profound. Familiarity with the works of the greatest English playwright brings newfound appreciation of the English language and literary knowledge that will serve the students throughout their educational careers.
The experiences and challenges of the Much Ado program also spark personal growth in such areas as: self-esteem, confidence in front of groups,
creative self-expression, vocal presence, leadership qualities, respect for others, and teamwork.
It is an exciting process to behold.
Our Philosophy
“What harmony is this? My good friends, hark!”
Much Ado’s mission is to create in each class a student ensemble that explores the world of the theatre and the works of William Shakespeare in a fun and non-competitive environment.
Although our programs involve performance, our emphasis is on the students’ classroom experience of learning and discovery as they encounter the world of classical theatre. Our classes favor physical movement and active learning
over traditional lectures.
We feel that classes and rehearsals should be fun and engaging for all types of learners and therefore, do everything possible to meet the individual needs
of each student.
"The Much Ado classes made the entire mysterious process of putting on a play accessible, even to my younger ones. I was consistently impressed with the teacher's ability to meet the children at their different levels, bring them to a higher level, maintain order in the classroom, and have fun, to boot!" Jan Becher, Santa Paula
“In this world of homogenized, watered-down education I am thrilled to find a program like Much Ado for my children. The classes combine fun with high expectations to bring out the best in everyone. Best of all, after eleven years of participation, my kids still love it!” Martha Fellows, Ojai
"It was wonderful meeting so many new people -- making friends with them, getting to know them -- and it was even more wonderful to start to understand what Shakespeare meant by his plays. The teachers were extremely helpful and made it all a blast." Greta, age 13
“Much Ado has encouraged my children to be expressive, to take risks and to bring their own unique personalities into every character they have portrayed! Being a homeschool parent, I wanted my children to experience the fun and comraderie of putting on a play. This program does more than that, as it opens their eyes into the world of Shakespeare. This is one of those opportunities you feel so incredibly fortunate to be able to provide your children.” Carla Byle, Ojai
"It was so much fun learning more about William Shakespeare. And it was great to make new friends. I loved learning the jig and the song, I sing and dance around the house!" Zoe age 8
"It was incredibly fun to go to the classes and I learned a lot more about Shakespeare.
I loved stage combat!! I really want to perform in more plays." Tom, age 10
ATTN CHARTER FAMILIES
We are charter approved vendors with: Golden Valley, Empire Springs, Gorman Learning Center, Sky Mountain, National University Academy, Mountain Peak, Summit Academy and Excel College Prep.
Deposit refunded to charter families after program is completed and charters have paid in full.
Independent Learning Academy Campus Students: please submit PO for $361 (Fall Semester 2014)
San Juan Students: please submit PO for $444.
All other locations please contact us directly for specific instructions.
Deposit reimbursements will be issued at the end of the year after we have received all charter payments.We are approved vendors with the following Charter Schools:Golden Valley Gorman Learning CenterSky MountainExcel College Prep Academy Mountain Peak REGISTRATION FORMS ARE BELOW. PLEASE DOWNLOAD AND READ THE REGISTRATION INSTRUCTIONS.THANK YOU.
registration_instructions_maas_.pdf | |
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renewal_form_and_instructions_maas_.pdf | |
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shakespeare_camp_registration_packet_2018.pdf | |
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pick_up_approval_form_maas_2012-2013.pdf | |
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lake_casitas_shakespeare_camp_flyer_2018_v2.pdf | |
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lake_casitas_camp_reg_instructions_2018_v2.pdf | |
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registration_packet_maas.pdf | |
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internship_application_maas_.pdf | |
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much_ado_company_bio_maas_2015.pdf | |
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internship_description_maas.pdf | |
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camp_counselor_application_and_description_maas_.pdf | |
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maas_intern_and_camp_counselor_m_form_2017.pdf | |
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ventura_shakespeare_registration_packet_2018-2019.pdf | |
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westchester_shakespeare_2018-2019_registration_packet.pdf | |
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