At the end of a winding road, nestled in the Catskill woods, New Genesis Productions’ Little Globe Theater is a sylvan oasis of creativity and personal growth. For the past 16 years, founders Lesley Sawhill and Ron Aja have worked to build a company that introduces children and teens in the Hudson Valley to Shakespeare and other theater classics.
NGP offers a full range of acting training and theater education through workshops, camps, and performances, working with young people of diverse backgrounds, aged seven to 18. Sawhill and Aja’s approach recognizes drama as a potent learning tool that can help students step outside their comfort zones and gain a deeper understanding of themselves. NGP creates a supportive environment that promotes collaboration in young actors and fosters a full sense of their value as members of an artistic community.
Each summer, Shakespeare Intensives are separated by age group, offering a supportive environment that promotes collaboration in young actors and fosters a full sense of their value as members of an artistic community. In these two-week intensives, young actors develop an intimate knowledge of and personal connection to Shakespeare alongside receiving training in acting, voice, movement and stage combat. As the grand finale of their course, the young people stage a production of a Shakespeare play for the public.
This summer, for their 17th season, NGP will stage “As You Like It” (ages 7-10), “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (ages 11-13), and Romeo and Juliet (ages 14-17). A new addition to this summer’s programming is a play- and nature-based exploration of Shakespeare for younger children (ages 5-7) called “An Introduction to the World of Shakespeare’s Fairies.”
Regardless of the age of the students in a given workshop, New Genesis Production presents Shakespearean texts in their original form, trusting in the transcendent human truth of the works and the innate intellect of the students. This un-condescending approach has an empowering impact on young people, encouraging them to develop their own relationship with the texts through reading, acting, and discussion.
For more information about NGP’s summer offerings visit Newgenesisproductions.org or call (845) 657-5867.
