Project Shakespeare is now accepting students ages 7 – 18 for their 2017 Winter Term Homeschool Classes. This marks Project Shakespeare’s 4th year offering high quality theatre education opportunities for homeschool students in the Monadnock region. Five classes are being offered this term.

The schedule is as follows:

SHAKESPEARE IN PERFORMANCE – “The Tempest” – 12 classes plus Showcase

The Tempest tells the story of Prospero, who is robbed of his dukedom by his brother and set adrift with his daughter, Miranda, to live in exile on a remote island full of magic and wonder. Twelve years later, Prospero, aided by an airy sprit, conjures up a storm washing ashore his enemies thus setting the stage for a tangled journey of romance, revenge, justice and forgiveness.

Session 1: Ages 13 – 18. 9 a.m. – 10:20 a.m. Using monologues and scenes, we will focus on character development, how Shakespeare directs actors through his use of language and storytelling through voice and movement.

Session 2: Ages 7 – 12. 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. Students will explore themes through theatre games; discover how to create a character through voice and movement; and analyze Shakespeare’s language using choral readings. The ultimate goal of this class is for the students to enjoy the process of discovering Shakespeare while developing personal skills through theatre education.

Both Sessions are held on Fridays: Jan. 20 – March 31 at the United Church of Jaffrey, Parish Hall, 54 Main Street, Jaffrey. On Saturday, April 1 at 7 p.m. there will be a showcase at the Cathedral of the Pines in Rindge. Tuition is $225; $200 sibling discount and limited scholarships available. A maximum of 15 students for each session. Deborah Shakespeare Thurber, Instructor. All theatre classes offer students a collaborative environment where the students’ voices are strongly valued.

POETRY IN MOTION – A No-Groans, Panic-Free Introduction to Verse. Ages 8 and older. Friday, Jan. 20 – March 3. (No class Feb. 10). Tuition: $90 Jaffrey Public Library, Bean Room. A maximum of 15 students. Why poetry? Where did it come from – and why study it today? Students in this six-week course will broaden their appreciation of language’s power and beauty by learning how to approach poetical works. From poetry’s oral roots in the epic adventures of the ancient world to 20th-century free verse, the class will include material from Homer, Shakespeare, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Emily Dickinson, e e cummings, and Robert Frost.

BOOK TO FILM – “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. Ages 13 and older Friday, Jan. 20 – Feb. 24. 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Tuition: $75. Jaffrey Public Library, Meeting Room. A maximum of 15 students

The unforgettable novel of a childhood in a sleepy Southern town and the crisis of conscience that rocked it, To Kill A Mockingbird became both an instant bestseller and a critical success when it was first published in 1960. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and was later made into an Academy Award-winning film, also a classic.

BOOK TO FILM – “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” & “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” by J.K. Rowling

Ages 12 and older (younger students may be admitted with interview)

March 10–31, 3 – 4:45 p.m. Open to Homeschool and Public School. Student Tuition: $75.

Interested students should contact Deborah Shakespeare Thurber at projectshakespeare@gmail or visit projectshakespeare.org for more information. Deadline: Jan. 16.