Professional actor Frank Farrell will offer acting techniques for approaching Shakespeare s text and interpreting dialogue. And GVSU professors Jo Ellen Miller and Laura Gardner Salazar will present ways of integrating Shakespeare with the high school curriculum. The atmosphere is very informal as cast and spectators discuss each other's role in the performance, and the session normally lasts for about an hour. Ellis adds that most of the schools participating in High School Shakespeare Day are 'regulars,' having enjoyed the program in years past. Each season, however, the festival adds more free performances in order to accommodate the large demand from schools in the region.
Future plans are for artists to tour and offer performances in area schools.
The high school educational programs are partially underwritten by the Michigan Consolidated Gas Company.