Will Power to Youth program participants perform at the Helping Americas Youth conference in Washington DC.
Shakespeare Festival/LA’s primary mission is to enchant, enrich and build community through professional theatrical traditions that are accessible to all. Whether designed to reach inner-city youth, theatergoers, artists or the general public, all our programs are united by one common element—life-changing potential of participation in live theater. Explore the links below to find out more about our unique, innovative, community-building programs.
- Mainstage
- Experience critically acclaimed, award-winning, professional performances of Shakespeare's plays under the stars, offered free of charge in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles
- Will Power to Youth
- Find out how lives are being transformed by this youth employment program, which hires young people challenged by severe economic circumstances to create and perform adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays during school break.
- Play On!
- Discover our innovative after-school youth employment program that hires young people challenged by severe economic circumstances to create and perform their own music and poetry inspired by Shakespeare’s songs and sonnets. Or order the latest Play On! CD online!
- Will Power to Schools
- Teachers and artist-mentors, check here to find out how you can request innovative curricula and training that provide new ways to bring the words of Shakespeare to your classrooms or arts programs.
- Will to Lead
- Helping to lead youth to new opportunities, this program offers young people enrolled in the Will Power system leadership training, after-school tutoring, and cultural field trips.
- Will to Work
- Taking our innovative approach to transforming youths’ lives beyond our doors, this program places young people enrolled in our Will Power system in paid internship positions at Shakespeare Festival/LA and other local theaters.
- Youth Arts Professionals Institute
- Designed especially for artists who work with youth, this professional development program trains artists to develop age-appropriate arts curriculum for the classroom.
The Play’s the Thing - Intersection through Live Performance
As a professional theater company with a mission to enrich and build community, we see the intersection of all our programs through live theatrical performances as integral to our core philosophy, values, beliefs, mission and operations. Whether we are reaching audience members through a professionally acted performance under the stars, or enabling young people to make life-transforming decisions through opportunities to create and perform in their own versions of Shakespeare plays, participation in live theater is the perfect catalyst for creating positive change in the community.
