SF Shakespeare Festival

“Congrats on making it through the first day of camp! I can't imagine how much work has gone into re-imagining the camp for the virtual environment, and I so appreciate that you've done this rather than canceling…”
—AB, Session 1 Players Camp Parent

“Thank you all so much for everything that you did to make the first week of camp so great for [my daughters]! They have loved your camp again this year (even though they would very much prefer to be with you all and their fellow aspiring thespians in person as opposed to
remotely 😀 ).”
—JC, Session 1 Players Camp Parent

“Thanks for all of your hard work. It seemed to go really well for my daughter today : ) ”
—PN, Session 1 Players Camp Parent“

I love this interactive approach! The kids are much more engaged in this camp than they typically are with Zoom classes. I love the way their teachers are drawing them out.”
—CH, Session 1 Players Camp Parent

“Thank you! I don’t know how you guys are doing it, but my daughter was so jazzed and loved the entire session today. Bravo! Not an easy format!!!”
—JH, Session 1 Players Camp Parent

“This week has been strenuous but fun and invigorating for our camper and we are really pleased to be part of virtual Shakespeare Camp. As I pop by [my son’s] space while he's doing the camp, I'm always really impressed by the quality of the instruction and the obvious love for the subjects being taught. What a gift! I've appreciated the different ways to break up the day, varying tasks, and having kids work offline to combat Zoom fatigue.”
—LT, Session 1 Players Camp Parent

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"Just a quick THANK YOU for today's sample session -- [My son] was really hesitant beforehand, and not at all enthused about Shakespeare. But after your sample session, he is really excited to participate! He's looking forward to his first Shakespeare experience!"
- KG, 5/22/20
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"Thanks for offering the Zoom sampler. We’re all a little burnt out on activity-by-Zoom so there was a high hurdle to cross but both [daughters] came up from the session energized and excited to return to camp, even virtually!! Yay! 
- DT, 5/22/20
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"SO WORTH IT! Shakespeare Camp was a central part of our summer for many years. In fact, it still is, as [my daughter] has been teaching these camps for a few years and will do so again starting in June. If you have kids from 7 to 18, check out these camps."    
- CF, 5/8/20
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"I am writing to recommend a unique camp experience for children and teens. The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival has been offering excellent camps throughout the Bay Area for years. My daughter attended her first 2-week session in Berkeley when she was 7 and now 8 years later, she’s signed up for one of the teen camps having never missed a year.

What makes SFShakes camps great is the combination of kid focus and fun with a structure and direction that allows them to pull off a play of Shakespeare’s in 2 weeks. It’s mind boggling what SF Shakes gets the kids to achieve. I’ve seen experienced Shakespearean actors take direction from children because they know it when they hear a good idea, this is to say that kids are treated with respect and given the opportunity and support to reach the material they are working on. The kind and experienced staff (all professional actors) take pains to help the children understand the meaning and context of the plays but always bring in the fun that kids need.

Along the way my daughter has made lasting friendships, learned the responsibility of committing to a group project, and developed the confidence that comes from tackling something truly challenging. She’s also learned that people in a time long ago and far from here were a lot like us and were concerned with love, death, joy, and fear (often with silliness along the way). It’s made her a deeper, more empathetic person."
-E, 5/1/20
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"In 2014, after reading King Lear during an English class, my son became interested in exploring Shakespeare further, and so decided to join an SF Shakes camp. He had no previous knowledge of theater arts. Hooked from day one, our son has now been participating in SF Shakes camps at least twice a year for almost six years. While every class has been a little different as instructors and plays change, the one constant is the excellence and commitment of the teachers and those behind the scenes. All students are equally involved, with gender roles being shared, and often the "star" roles being shared by several students. Activities and topics range from stage combat to analyzing the metrical pattern of a line of verse.

There is no better example of the staff's commitment to students than during the COVID-19 outbreak this Spring. When it became evident that in-person classes were no longer tenable, the SF Shakes team scrambled, missing only a single class, and transitioned to an all on-line program. While on-line theater is certainly not the same as working together in the same room, it was still an excellent experience, culminating in a surprisingly sophisticated live Zoom performance.

During the last six years, SF Shakes has been a pillar of my son's growth, helping him expand his creativity, increasing his understanding of human nature, honing his leadership skills, and offering him volunteer opportunities. As an added bonus, our son's enthusiasm for the Bard has spilled over into the rest of the family, and we are all richer for it. I give the SF Shakes programs the highest recommendation."
- W, 4/28/20
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"Life’s current uncertainty has me nearly unable to make a meal plan for the next few days let alone summer camp plans but I am certain that [SF Shakes] can pull off virtual camp and signed my daughter up for the June 8-19 session. She has gone to Shakespeare camp three summers and it’s been great. She comes home singing tongue twister vocal warm-ups and shows me fight scenes or slapstick comedy. Her roles have been tailored to her level each summer.

We’ve all received many virtual summer camp emails and you may be using magical thinking and denial to put off tough commitments. Spring break changed that for me. Please check out and consider virtual Shakespeare camp."
- CA, 4/17/20
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