Give the Gift of Shakespeare for the Holidays!

ARTFARM Artistic Director Marcella Trowbridge has a special knack for opening actors up to Shakespeare's verse, and for using Shakespeare to help actors discover a deeper level of work. Participants in ARTFARM's Shakespeare Acting Laboratory, which starts January 11, will get the opportunity to work with her in an intensive, small-group setting. 

Shakespeare Acting Laboratory is open to experienced and aspiring actors age eighteen and over. The 6 week class will meet Thursdays, 6:30 - 8:30 pm from January 11 through February 15, culminating in an informal public presentation of Shakespeare performance work on February 15. Snow date is February 22. 

Known as both an exceptional performer of Shakespeare and a challenging acting coach, Marcella will lead participants in a focused exploration of Shakespeare from the actors' point of view. The work will involve text analysis, scansion, developing emotional literacy and accessibility, voice and breath, physical training, and play. Students will work with Shakespeare's text as individuals, in small groups and as an ensemble. Special attention will be given to Scene Study.

Marcella is the co-founder of ARTFARM and a classically trained actress who has appeared in New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Key West, Sri Lanka and is currently doing work in Germany. Local audiences have seen her in many roles in ARTFARM's Shakespeare in the Grove, including Cordelia in King Lear, Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing, Katharina in Taming of the Shrew, both Hermia and Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Lady Macbeth and most recently Hamlet.

Tuition for the Shakespeare Acting Laboratory is $200. The course will be held on the campus of Middlesex Community College in Middletown, but is an independent course offered by ARTFARM and not part of the College's course offerings.

ARTFARM is a Middletown based company, founded in 2001, which cultivates high-quality theater with a commitment to simple living, environmental sustainability and social justice. 

For more information, or to register, contact info@art-farm.org, call (860) 346-4390, or go to www.art-farm.org.

Photos by Bill De Kine of Marcella Trowbridge as Lady Macbeth in ARTFARM's Shakespeare in the Grove production of Macbeth and as Hamlet in Hamlet.