Fiscal Years 2025 and 2026 of Shakespeare with Talent Unlimited High School
Hello again!
As I explained in my last post, last year was a tough one for me after I lost my dad, who had been in and out of the hospital. While I went to CA to be with him as often as my schedule would allow, I still needed to fulfill my responsibilities at Circle in the Square, which included grant applications and reports, as well as Arts Outreach with schools, one of which was this Shakespeare program with Talent Unlimited High School. So this post will cover our TUHS work for both FY25 and FY26.
The layout was similar both years. We capped the sign-up sheet at 16 slots, with some reserve backup spots. This gave us enough time to really connect with each student and do meaningful work on each scene at TUHS on the Upper East Side of Manhattan before tech/dress rehearsal and the performance on the Broadway stage at Circle in the Square Theatre.
I direct this program each year, and, like the past couple of years, I asked Gretchen Schneider to direct half of the scenes while I directed the other half. This way, we were able to work in two classrooms at the same time with four students and two scenes per time slot.
Once we met with the students, we found scenes that they liked, then moved forward with rehearsals to practice voice and diction, projection, understanding of the characters and text, blocking, connection with their scene partner, and authentic acting. Working with Shakespeare’s heightened language is no small task. It demands curiosity, discipline, and the bravery to uncover emotional truth beneath the verse. Our young TU actors met this challenge with dedication and openness, and we are deeply proud of the work they brought to life.
I worked with our Artistic Director at Circle to find our Lighting and Sound Designer, Costume Designer, and their assistants, Stage Manager, and Poster and Program Designer; and at TU, we always welcome a student Production Assistant who assists our Stage Manager, learns the ropes of working in a professional theatre production, and is recognized in our program.
Once rehearsals are underway, Gretchen and I make notes for our Costume Designer, who comes to one of the rehearsals at TU and measures all of the students. I then start working on our production script, which includes an opening speech and introductions for each scene to give the audience an understanding of what’s happening in each play before the scene begins. I draw set plots for the script, write sound and light cues for our Lighting and Sound Designer, and create a detailed set and prop list for each scene, a marketing poster for our Art Designer to make pretty, and the program for the performance. As we get closer to the performance date, I write a to-do list for our tech/dress rehearsal, make sure we have all the props and set pieces we need, find door monitors to stay posted in the lobby during our days at Circle in the Square, and make sure all documents are printed and ready to go.
We always have our tech/dress rehearsal and performance at Circle in the Square so students can rehearse in full costume, lights, and sound before performing on the Broadway stage.
Both years went beautifully. It’s a lot of work in a fairly short amount of time, but the fulfillment of witnessing the students learn, thrive, and shine on stage is always deeply rewarding.
In 2025, tech/dress rehearsal was May 19 after one of my PS 11 Playmaking performances (it was a long day!), and the performance was May 26, Memorial Day, at 7:00 p.m. Here is a photo of Gretchen and me after that show:
Left to right: Gretchen and me after the May 26, 2025 performance
In 2026, tech/dress rehearsal was June 1, and the performance was June 7 at 8 p.m. Here are a couple of photos of us after that show:
Left to right: Gretchen and me after the June 7, 2026 performance
Left to right: Me and Gretchen after the June 7, 2026 performance
As always, while I love the photos of our students in costume, I never post photos of minors or identify them by name in order to protect their privacy.
It always takes a village to produce a strong residency process and student performance. A huge thank you to our student cast, our crew, Gretchen, TUHS, and Circle in the Square, with special gratitude to the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, District 5 Council Member Julie Menin, the New York City Council, and The Waldman Foundation for their funding support. This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.