Junior, Senior Corps Breed Fresh Acting Talent

All the world's a stage, William Shakespeare wrote, especially for kids participating in the Junior and Senior Corps summer theatrical programs at Drew University.

The acting-intensive programs, part of The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey's education programs, originated from outreach programs to schools during the school year. The kids involved wanted to continue learning classical theater, such as the works of Shakespeare and those of Ancient Greece, when school got out. Therefore, outlet programs for the summer were created and the Junior Corps was born in 1992 and the Senior Corps in 1996.

The Junior and Senior programs cater to kids aged 11-14 and 14-17, respectively. The Junior Corps consist of two two-week sessions whereas the Senior Corps consist of two three-week sessions because it is more intensive.

Twenty to thirty students in a group learn together during their session and perform in their own production. The Junior Corps have completed one session while another runs through July 30. The Senior Corps has another session, from August 1-20.

“Kids who have never performed try something for the first time. I enjoy watching kids have sensory experiences and pride to be able to perform Shakespeare. It’s great watching kids return and grow in theater as well,” said Jamie Brink, the director of the Junior and Senior Corps, reflecting on what he cherishes most about the program.

Twelve-year-old Junior Corps Session Two members Emma Worrall and Zack Espirito shared what they enjoyed most about the program.

“I like how we are exposed to different parts of Shakespeare,” said Espirito, “We learn how to interpret it and perform it so the audience gets a powerful message.”

Out of the different activities provided by the Junior Corps, such as the primary ensemble work as well as movement, voice, stage combat, and improvisation, Worrall’s favorite is the hand-in-hand activity of reading and text analysis. “I like that. I like English and to have it from an actor’s point of view, I learned a bunch of new stuff.”

“In text analysis you learn Shakespeare a lot better than just reading through,” said Espirito.

In addition to these activities, the children also learn about props, costumes, engaging with the text, and participation in warm-up ensemble games, for which, according to Shelby Hibbs, the assistant director of the Junior and Senior Corps, they have fantastic energy.

For their final project, Session One of Junior Corps performed The Persians, a story about the aftermath of the Battle of Salamis, written by Aeschylus and directed by Hibbs, in which they utilized the "tableau" method, meaning physically showing flashbacks in the play. This past Saturday, Session Two of Junior Corps performed Batter the Doom Drum, a retelling of the beginnings of the Trojan War, directed by Brian Crowe, the Shakespeare Theatre's Director of Education.

For more information about the Junior and Senior Corps, please click here.