THOUSAND OAKS, CA – Thirteen advanced acting students from several colleges are spending the summer building sets, leading camps and performing at the Kingsmen Shakespeare Festival at California Lutheran University.

The following students were selected for the 2011 Kingsmen Shakespeare Company Apprentice Program: Elizabeth Arenas from California State University, San Bernardino; Andy Babinski from California State University, Fullerton; Aaron Anthony Bonilla with the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts (PCPA); Jeremy Hanna from CLU; Seth Kamenow from CLU; Eric Klein from CLU; Casey Kooyman from University of the Pacific and PCPA; Clare Lopez from Saint Martin’s University and PCPA; Garrett Patrick Marshall with PCPA; Caitlyn O’Connor from Whittier College; Annie Sherman from CLU; Molly Stilliens from CLU; and Hannah Mae Sturges from CSUF.

In a new addition this year, the apprentices will present two free staged readings of plays by Shakespeare’s contemporaries. “The Tamer Tamed” by John Fletcher will be performed at 3 p.m. July 16 and 17. The apprentices will present “The Jew of Malta” by Christopher Marlowe at 10 a.m. July 30, 2 p.m. July 31 and 7 p.m. Aug. 1.

The apprentices are also helping high school students in the Rhodes Junior Apprentice Company to stage a public production of “Romeo and Juliet,” which is another first for the festival, on July 30 and 31 and Aug. 6 and 7.

As in years past, the apprentices will understudy the professional actors in the company, play small roles and create and perform pre-show entertainment. They will also teach sessions of the company’s Summer Theatre Camp, build scenery, make costumes and set up and clean up the festival grounds. The apprentices started on June 6 and will continue working long days through Aug. 13.

The professional theater company of CLU is presenting “The Taming of the Shrew” from July 1 through 17 and “The Merchant of Venice” July 22 through Aug. 7. The festival, which is in its 15th season, is one of the area’s most popular theatrical events. For more information, visit http://kingsmenshakespeare.org.