Spring 2009 Tour of Hamlet

CSF Education will tour a shortened version of Shakespeare's Hamlet in the spring of 2009 to schools in Colorado. A troupe of five actors will visit your school to perform a 45-minute Hamlet, followed by a short talk-back with the actors. After the performance, the actors will conduct five simultaneous hands-on workshops in classrooms. Performances can accommodate up to 250 students, and workshops are limited to 25 students each. Performances and workshops are appropriate for grades 4-12.

To sign up, contact Amanda at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (303) 492-1537.

Cost

• $550 (Includes one 45-minute performance, one brief talk-back, and five hands-on workshops.)
• A performance-only option is available for $450.
• Subsidies are available for qualified schools. Call (303) 492-1537 for details.

Dates/Times

• Wednesdays and Fridays, February 4 - April 24, 2009
• Select either morning or afternoon programming. Example:
  • A morning session, could begin with a 9 AM performance, followed by five 10 AM workshops.
  • An afternoon session might begin with a 12:30 PM performance, followed by five 1:30 PM workshops.

Bringing Living Shakespeare to Your School

• Please book your Living Shakespeare program at least three weeks in advance.
• Dates left available on the tour are listed below as STILL AVAILABLE.
• Contact the  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information.

Tour Schedule — February 4 to April 24 , 2009

A limited number of morning and afternoon slots are still available.

Call (303) 492-1537 or contact Amanda at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to be included on this tour.

February 6, Friday: Boulder - Sacred Heart of Jesus School (PM)

February 11, Wednesday: Boulder - Centennial Middle School (AM)

February 13, Friday: Denver - Steele Elementary (AM)

February 18, Wednesday: Milliken - Knowledge Quest Academy (AM)

February 20, Friday: Lafayette - Angevine Middle School (PM)

February 25, Wednesday: Fort Collins- TR Paul Academy (AM) and Heritage  Christian Academy (PM)

February 27, Friday: Longmont - Flagstaff Academy (AM)

March 4, Wednesday: Vail - Vail Christian High School  (AM) and St. Claire of Assisi School (PM)

March 6, Friday: no programs available

March 11, Wednesday: AM and PM STILL AVAILABLE.

March 13, Friday: Broomfield, Boulder - Broomfiled High School (AM) and The Academy - an independent retirement community (PM)

March 18, Wednesday: Denver - Moore Elementary (AM) and East High School (PM)

March 20, Friday : Denver - Columbine Elementary (AM) and Boulder Options School (PM)

March 25 & 27: no programs available

April 1, Wednesday: Westminster - Front Range Community College (AM)
PM slot (North Metro area) STILL AVAILABLE.

April 3, Friday: Boulder - Heatherwood Elementary (AM) and Douglass Elementary (PM)

April 8, Wednesday : Boulder - Foothill Elementary (PM)
AM slot (North Metro area) STILL AVAILABLE.

April 10, Friday: Boulder, Northglenn - Crestview Elementary (AM) and Silver Hills Middle School (PM)

April 15, Wednesday: Lafayette - Lafayette Elementary (AM)
PM slot (North Metro area) STILL AVAILABLE.

April 17, Friday: Longmont - Longs Peak Middle School(AM) and Eagle Crest Elementary (PM)

April 22, Wednesday: Broomfield, Longmont - Broomfield Heights Middle (AM) and Sunset Middle School (PM)

April 24, Friday: Aurora - Arrowhead Elementary (AM) and High Point Academy (PM)

Living Shakespeare Feedback

Hamlet Tour:

"I can say very truthfully that teaching Shakespeare has changed the way I approach teaching struggling, ELL, readers. My students have made remarkable growth in both skills and motivation while studying Hamlet. We have explored, theme, story grammar, and characterization as well as history, literature and creative arts. Also, teaching this type of high quality really inspired my teachers. The play was great- very engaging. The actors were fabulous today, both on stage and in the workshops. Thank you again, for all that you do for students across Colorado!"

-Middle School Teacher

"The experience was fantastic for the students and the teachers.  We believe that the strength of this partnership is, and will continue to be, a great benefit for our students!"

-Assistant Principal

"Thank you for coming to our school and doing the Hamlet play.  I really like the play because of the way you acted.  I liked the way you moved your bodies to show emotion.  Also I liked it because you were really good at singing and fighting the swords. The way you were fighting with the swords was really cool."

- Student

"The bad thing was it was only 45 minutes.  I wish it was 4 hours!"

-Student

"I thank you actors for coming to our school.  I learned a little bit more about the type of talking in old English times.  I wish you could come back and show next year's sixth graders how cool is this story."

-Student

Shakespeare's Sister:

“Marta kept the kids engaged and they enjoyed the performance.”

-Teller Elementary Teacher

“I learned about Shakespeare’s plays…I liked everything!”

-Teller Elementary student

“I learned that he [Shakespeare] made several famous plays.”

-Teller Elementary student

Monstrous Little Voices:

“The whole class assembly was awesome!!....entertaining and packed with information as well. We are already talking of making this event an annual tradition for sixth grade at Maplewood. The entire day was a plus for every student I have talked with!   Thank you for helping us to enrich the lives of our sixth graders!”

- Maplewood Middle School Teacher

“I was impressed with Karen and Matt's ability to bring their love of Shakespeare across to our students, as well as giving them the background needed to understand the plays at a level they could all relate to.”

- Maplewood Middle School Teacher

“The interactive experience was awesome!  The topics were appropriate for our sixth graders and the presentations were entertaining and well delivered!… I am promoting the performances and workshops as an annual event for Maplewood Sixth Graders.  Others support this idea.”

- Maplewood Middle School Teacher

“I learned that [Shakespeare] could make poetry fun and not boring.”

-6th grade student, Maplewood Middle School

Boy Meets Girl Meets Shakespeare:

“Boy Meets Girl Meets Shakespeare” provides a super opportunity for students to be exposed to Shakespeare before having to read the plays in high school.  Geoffrey and Jess are a natural team so well versed that they bring these mini-scenes to life and allow my students to have a positive first connection to Shakespeare.”

-Huron Middle School Teacher

“We love having these actors in—such a great, non-threatening way to introduce Shakespeare and theater to our kids.”

-Huron Middle School Teacher

“I love having the kids see Shakespeare as something that related to their lives (love and all that).  I love seeing them get the humor.  I love that they’ll go into freshman English and Romeo and Juliet with a positive Shakespeare experience.”

-Huron Middle School Teacher

“I learned that Shakespeare’s stories appealed to the poor and the rich, and the smart and the not so smart.  This made his stories amazing.”

-Huron Middle School student

“I learned that [Shakespeare] was a gruesome, artistic and amazing writer.”

-Huron Middle School student

“Shakespeare had many famous lines people still use today.”

-Huron Middle School student

“I’m an actress already, but those plays REALLY inspired me in acting and in poetry.  I learned a lot.”

-Huron Middle School student

“This was a fabulous experience, and I loved every minute of it.  I’m going to see as many [performances] as I can, as well as join the camp.”

-Huron Middle School student

Rehearsal-to Performance Workshops:

“Incredible!  In about an hour Jessica blocked two large, messy scenes and the kids ran through them more than once!  I suspect other teachers have problems with blocking...”

- Teller Elementary teacher

“I liked when we learned how to act like another person, not yourself.”

-Teller Elementary student

“I learned that acting is really fun and it helped my voice get louder.”

-Columbine Elementary student

“I learned that you can fight in the play but not real fighting.”

-Columbine Elementary student

“I learned that when you’re talking or saying your part you have to send your voice out so they can hear and say your part clearly so they can understand.”

-Columbine Elementary student

Hands-On Workshops:

“I learned that when Shakespeare wrote his scripts he incorporated the stage direction into the lines.”

-Huron Middle School student

“I learned lots of new words and different feeling.  I learned that acting is creative and takes lots of practice and rehearsals to get it right.”

-Huron Middle School student

“Shakespeare used his script, the dialogue, to show the actor what to do.”

-Huron Middle School student