A summer youth program of Winters Friends of the Library
Now in our 23rd season, Winters Shakespeare Workshop is a five-week intensive acting camp for teens ages 13-19. Actors work with a professional director, acting coaches, and musicians to rehearse and perform a comedy by Shakespeare with a live band, singing, and dancing.
On July 21 and 22 at 8 PM, actors will present a 90-minute production of Shakespeare’s TWELFTH NIGHT, with live music and dance, lights, costumes, make-up—and fun!—on the Winters Park Playground Stage. The whole community is invited to this free performance.
Directors Olivia Caserta and Megan Abbanat, of the UC Davis Dept. of Theatre and Dance, have extensive experience working with young actors, and staging both youth and university productions. Music Director Nick Carvajal has written and arranged music for Twelfth Night and will lead a 4-5 piece band for each performance. Choreographer Sherean Maynard leads the Dance Team of 8-12 year-old dancers.
WSW 2023 is supported by a generous grant from the Winters JUSD Extended Learning Program.
Our Story
Winters Shakespeare Workshop began more than 20 years ago when a group of parents with young teens created a program to fill those long summer evenings with music, performing, and working hard in good company. Our goal was to give local teens a chance to work intensely with experienced theatrical artists to create a performance for the Winters community on the Winters Park Playground Stage.
Eventually we became a program of Winters Friends of the Library, expanded our enrollment, wrote grants for lighting and sound equipment, and were able to hire a Director, Musical Director, acting coaches, choreographer, and costumer. Throughout our history, parents and local artists have shared their skills to complete the show, which is always performed for free, on the Park Playground Stage, with live music, in mid-July.
