CampShakes encourages students entering grades four through eight to explore Shakespeare with Theater at Monmouth. For 2020, all sessions will take place virtually via Zoom from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. with breaks for snacks, lunch and arts and crafts projects. Submitted photo

MONMOUTH — CampShakes is looking for young people who play well with their friends and are imaginative, energetic and excited to explore Shakespeare with Theater at Monmouth this summer. The best way to explore Shakespeare is hands-on and on your feet, and CampShakes will do just that for students entering grades four through eight. Classes in voice, movement and acting help students explore Shakespeare’s text emotionally, physically and intellectually in preparation for a final performance for family and friends.

For 2020, all sessions will take place virtually from home via Zoom from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. with breaks for snacks, lunch and arts and crafts projects.

There are three week-long sessions to choose from:

Session 1: “As You Like It,: July 27 to 31: When Celia’s dad tries to banish her favorite cousin, Rosalind, the ladies take to the Forest of Arden to find Roz’s father and accidentally discover true love.

Session 2: “Romeo & Juliet,” Aug. 3 to 7: Get ready to rumble in Shakespeare’s star-crossed tale of two young lovers destroyed by fate.

Session 3: “Twelfth Night,” Aug. 10 to 14: A shipwreck, two lost brothers and a bunch of wacky servants play on in Shakespeare’s comedy of searching for Mr. or Ms. Right.

There will be a final performance each session for friends and family.

Each day at CampShakes begins with a movement class to warm-up campers physically and vocally. The rest of the day is filled with acting, ensemble building, voice, costume and set design, and learning to interpret Shakespeare’s plays as Text Detectives.  After a break from Zoom to eat lunch, students return to read through scenes from that week’s plays and get personalized coaching from professional actors and directors. The day ends with circle time for students to check in with each other, share their thoughts and questions, and get ready for the following day.

CampShakes’ teachers bring a variety of training and experience from colleges and universities all over the country. Each specializes in an area of theater from voice to movement, improv to Shakespeare, ensemble building to acting.

For more information, call 207-933.9999 or visit theateratmonmouth.org/education/campshakes.