(THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – May 27, 2010) The 25th year of the Kingsmen Shakespeare Company Summer Theatre Camp will begin in June at California Lutheran University.

CLU started the camp through its continuing education program and the drama department later took it over. When the Kingsmen Shakespeare Company took charge several years ago, it added a focus on the Bard. Throughout the years, the camp has retained its goal of helping students develop self-confidence, discipline, teamwork skills and acting techniques in fun and educational workshops. The number of participants is limited so that students can receive individual attention.

In “Beginning Shakespeare,” children will learn basic acting technique and its application to the Bard’s work, working up to presenting scenes on the Kingsmen Shakespeare Festival stage. “Shakespeare in Production” is an intensive four-week training/rehearsal workshop that provides advanced students with an opportunity to hone their acting skills and perform an adaptation of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” on the festival stage. Students in “Acting Techniques” will study voice, movement, approaching a script, improvisation and stage combat and present play scenes before an audience. “Musical Theatre” will cover vocal technique and auditioning and culminate with a performance of selections from a well-known musical.

Ken Gardner, a CLU theatre arts professor who taught at the camp in its first year, is in his 14th year as director. “Musical Theatre” teacher Barbara Wegher-Thompson, who teaches at CLU and has been involved with the Young Artists Ensemble, is also one of the camp’s original teachers. Actors from Kingsmen Shakespeare Company, the professional theatre company of CLU, also provide instruction.

Workshops will be held Monday through Friday on the following dates:

“Beginning Shakespeare” (ages 8 to 12) – June 21 through July 2; July 5 through 16, 8 a.m. to noon
“Acting Techniques” (ages 12 to 16) – June 21 through July 2, 1 to 5 p.m.
“Shakespeare in Production” (ages 13 to 18) – July 5 through 30, 2 to 5 p.m.
“Musical Theatre” (ages 12 to 16) – July 19 through 30, 8 a.m. to noon

“Shakespeare in Production” costs $400. All the other workshops are $285.

Registration is available online at http://kingsmenshakespeare.org. For more information, call (805) 493-3455 or e-mail info@kingsmenshakespeare.org.