Richmond Shakespeare is now the Theatre Company in Residence at St. Catherine's.

 

     St. Catherine’s School is so proud to welcome Richmond Shakespeare as the School’s Theatre Company in Residence. This partnership brings professional caliber classical theatre to campus and will contribute to the well being of the greater Richmond community by making the work of Richmond Shakespeare viable and available for all. 
     A ceremonial agreement will be signed tomorrow at a pre-performance reception at Agecroft Hall.

     As part of the agreement, St. Catherine’s will provide rehearsal and performance space in McVey Theatre for fall, winter and spring productions. St. Catherine’s students will be eligible for internships and performance opportunities, as well as develop contacts with theatre professionals from around the country.

     “This unique program will provide our students with both direct and indirect benefits,” said Maury Hancock, St. Catherine’s director of theatre. “Our students will have the opportunity to observe the process of mounting a professional production at every stage and compare it with our own process. In conjunction with the Company's educational program, our own faculty will bring living theatre into the classroom.”

     This partnership supports St. Catherine’s educational goals for literary and theatrical disciplines. The Company’s dedication to educational outreach aligns perfectly with the School’s longstanding excellence in education and the arts. The positive impact will extend beyond St. Catherine’s girls as Ampersand, the joint student theatre group between St. Catherine's & St. Christopher's Schools will interact regularly with Richmond Shakespeare.

     Richmond Shakespeare Educational Outreach is dedicated to bringing Shakespeare’s words to life for teachers, students and learners of all ages throughout the Richmond metropolitan area and beyond. Richmond Shakespeare believes that it is not enough simply to read Shakespeare but feels that the spirit of play in which Shakespeare's works were originally meant to be performed is necessary for understanding the meaning of his works and for understanding how his works teach us something about what it means to be human.

     “Having a permanent residence at St. Catherine’s School allows to belong to a larger community with ongoing communication and collaboration that will enrich both organizations as well as the Richmond area,” said Jan Powell, the interim Artistic Director of Richmond Shakespeare. 

     Powell is most excited to have the opportunity to be directly involved in the lives of students in kindergarten through grade 12.

     “It will be thrilling to share Shakespeare with children throughout their educational journey, sharing this beautiful language, allowing this language to come to life and teach us all about what it means to be human,” Powell said.