Welcome
Developing Stages provides theater arts classes and workshops that encourage creativity and provide opportunities for participants to learn and grow in an atmosphere that is as educational as it is exciting and fun!We give children the opportunity to study Shakespeare for the academic value it has, while discovering all the joys of performing his plays. It is our desire that this program would encourage children to become confident in their ability to understand and enjoy great dramatic plays while nurturing skills that will help them succeed beyond their own expectations. We recognize that this success will transfer into increased confidence in every aspect of their lives.
Company History
In March of 1999, Scott Minor started a new theater company in Winsted, Conn., called Developing Stages, a children’s theater company dedicated to offering theater classes and workshops to young people in Northwestern Connecticut and the surrounding areas.
Developing Stages began after meeting with a group of homeschooling parents who were interested in providing their children drama classes that would not challenge the value system upheld in their homes. In the six months that followed, three programs were developed:
- Homeschool On Stage, a curriculum consisting of Shakespeare classes designed specifically for homeschoolers
- Drama Workshops, a drama camp where young people create their own one-act plays exploring a specific moral truth or lesson.
- Summer Shakespeare Camp, an intensive 3-4 week performing arts camp that culminates in an 80-minute performance of a Shakespeare play
Teaching Shakespeare: A Basic Strategy
All Shakespeare classes offered by Developing Stages follow the same basic strategy: The best way to teach Shakespeare to people of any age is to get them up on their feet and to get the words coming out of their mouths. Shakespeare’s plays might be read as literature, but they should be experienced as plays in order for students to fully comprehend them. In addition to having students perform, our classes incorporate academic study, such as essay writing, journal keeping, historical studies, and research. Classes are available for children ages 9-18 with varying levels of experience. There is a discount for registering multiple children in the same family. Age limits are flexible if the student demonstrates the appropriate maturity and experience.
