Children’s Shakespeare Theatre Celebrates its Tenth Anniversary Season
This autumn marks the 10th anniversary of the Children’s Shakespeare Theatre of Palisades, the renowned theatre group revived, nurtured and inspired by Diana Green, its Creative Director. On the face of it, this is an improbable achievement for an acting company comprised entirely of child actors performing Shakespeare after school in a hamlet church. Diana’s son Dakota, a founding CST cast member, said the milestone reflects not only his mother’s dedication, but also the community’s willingness to support the theatre. It is a testament to CST and to her, he says, that kids continue to be interested, adding that if CST has not actually changed kids’ lives, it certainly has influenced them. (Caroline Iosso, another founding cast member, writes eloquently of her acting experience in CST on the 10964 website.)
Diana believes that the company’s success lies in its ability to portray the enduring relevance of Shakespeare’s plays to modern life. The children, who range in age from 8 to 18, do not shrink from the plays’ grand themes of powerful human emotion. Under Diana’s sensitive and astute guidance their willingness to explore such passions as hatred and jealousy, love and betrayal, and the impulse to murder lends their productions authenticity and a thrilling sense of discovery. (See 10964 issues in 2004 and 2006)
Diana explained that the CST is about self-exploration at a crucial time in children’s lives. One of the critical features of CST is the check-in circle where the actors work through the events of the week. Here, the children learn to organize and prioritize life experiences and to explore big emotions in a safe environment. The children are vocal and thoughtful. This is a place where no one passes judgment, where they can be their truest self. They prize this even more than the accolades.
On September 11, 2001, Diana had a rehearsal scheduled at the Presbyterian Church. After her initial shock from the terrorist attack, she notified the cast that she would still be at the church and anyone who wanted to could still come. Nearly everyone showed up. On this particular day, the check-in circle lasted one and a half hours as each cast member talked about the impact of the attack on their lives. After this exercise, they were able to go on to rehearse Macbeth, a play, as we know, about hatred and the use of violence to achieve an end. When Diana was a child, Jean Brock, an actress who had started Shakespeare readings with her five children around her kitchen table in Palisades, invited Diana and her brother to join them. It was Diana’s idea to actually put on a play instead of just reading, and so began the original Children’s Shakespeare Theatre. That first season in 1972 featured back to back productions of Romeo and Juliet and The Tempest, with the cast changing sets during intermission. This first iteration lasted five years.
Diana revived the CST in 1999 for her own children and their friends in the neighborhood with a single production of Midsummer Night’s Dream. Now the company stages four plays a season and runs the Children’s Shakespeare Theatre, the Rogue Players, the Strange Bedfellows and an introductory workshop called CST Studio.
To celebrate CST’s 10th anniversary, Diana is putting together a commemorative program to hand out at this season’s performances, and there will be a 10th anniversary commemorative poster on display at Bunbury’s coffee shop in Piermont.
Diana is planning for the next decade by involving long-time fan, Vincent Umbrino, as Assistant Director. With Vincent’s help, she will be able to stage more plays, and bring in more children. She also hopes to take CST on the road more to Shakespeare festivals and to public schools in the area and farther afield.
Diana knows of at least one family that moved to Palisades on the strength of the CST, believing that a hamlet that supports a children’s Shakespeare theatre has to be a remarkable place to live. Indeed.
The 2008-2009 season begins November 1st with All's Well That Ends Well performed by the Rogue Players. For more information on the 2008-2009 schedule, how to join and how to make a donation, go to www.childrensshakespeare.org.
2008-2009 Schedule:
All’s Well That Ends Well - November 1, 7 & 8 at 8pm and November 2 at 4pm
Henry VI, Part 3 - December 5, 12 & 13 at 7pm and December 6 at 4pm
Othello - March 6, 7, 13 & 14
Richard III - May 8, 9, 15 & 16