The 21th Season of Children Performing Shakespeare
The Annandale Troupe will not be operating during the summer of 2010.
We apologize to those of you who were looking forward to participate in performing Shakespeare.
The Annandale Troupe, which for the past ten years has held its summer performances at Wing’s Castle, will be taking up residence at the Duchess Day School starting this June. The Troupe was founded in 1989 by Katharine Aldrich and Natalie Lunn to give children an opportunity to understand and perform Shakespeare as it was written. The guiding philosophy of the Troupe is that Shakespeare is not only comprehensible to children but entertaining and illuminating. Several generations of participants have proven this to be true. 
For this coming summer’s sesion Amanda Johnson will be returning to the Troupe as Annandale’s artistic director. Ms. Johnson, an actress in New York City, taught at Annandale when it was held at Bard College and has since studied Shakespeare’s First Folios extensively. This year’s performance will be entitled ‘Disguises’, and will consist of scenes from various plays in which disguise is a key element.
A typical day will include warm up exercises, dramatic games, work on scenes, vocal and instrumental work, period dance, elocution and improvisation. The goal of the program is to foster appreciation and understanding of Shakespeare as well as absorbing acting techniques to produce a superior performance. It is a top priority for the children to have fun and to enjoy the camaraderie of ensemble work as well as the thrill of being a player on the stage.
One of the most frequently asked questions directed our way has been “Why Shakespeare?” expressing more disbelief and incredulity than simple curiosity.
William Shakespeare’s plays are, of course, popularly considered the apex of an actor’s career. We believe that the plays also provide a very sound beginning for the appreciation of theater in particular, and our language in general. The staff of the Troupe work to develop the confidence and creativity of young people by exposing them to the rich imagery of Shakespeare’s plays and words with both courage and curiosity.