Arts & Entertainment
All the World's a Stage: Kids' Shakespeare Classes Set to Begin
If your kids have the acting bug, the Much Ado About Nothing Shakespeare company can help them with that!
For the past three years, the kids' educational Shakespeare company, "Much Ado About Nothing," has made a home in La Crescenta, offering improvisational workshops and Shakespearean drama classes year round.
Rebekah Czarnecki, who has served as artistic director along with Stuart Calof since the company's inception in 2000, is thrilled to be working in La Crescenta. "Much Ado About Nothing" serves Simi Valley, Ventura, Santa Clarita, Mammoth and the West Valley, but Czarnecki notes that La Crescenta kids have that extra something special; in general, she explains, the La Crescenta youth is very "dedicated" and understands how theater works, perhaps, she guesses, because of La Crescenta's proximity to Los Angeles.
"We tend to get a more dedicated, professional vibe off of the kids in this area, kids that are interested in pursuing this as a career and parents that are more industry-savvy," Czarnecki explained.
Find out what's happening in Montrose-La Crescentawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Groups usually consist of 15 students, ranging in age from 6-17 years old. Often, the group is divided into one younger and one older division, depending on the ages of the incoming cast.
In addition to being a fun and healthy afterschool program, Czarnecki is quick to point out that such a program is "confidence-building," acquaints the students with public speaking, offers a history lesson, plus, of course, knowledge of Shakespeare.
Find out what's happening in Montrose-La Crescentawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
An improvisational workshop will begin September 11. This two month program will meet weekly on Sundays at , where Much Ado About Nothing rents space. The cost for the entire program is $135.
Beginning November 6, the Shakespeare program will be back in full swing, where the incoming group is slated to work on The Comedy of Errors through May, culminating in a public performance. The cost for the entire workshop is $420 (which meets from 6-8 p.m. every Sunday), or $300 if your child is in the younger division (which meets from 3-4:30 p.m. every Sunday).
To register, call the company at 323-275-0990, email them at muchado@earthlink.net, or visit their website.
