On Friday, July 31, 2009 the Adler Outreach Summer Shakespeare ensemble presented an abbreviated version of The Comedy of Errors. The student artists did a great job: they performed beautifully under the pressure of having an audience and spoke eloquently about their experience in a post-performance Q&A. Special thanks to instructors Carlos, Tom and Steve and to Janet who volunteered her time and was a lovely addition to the program.

Students had the following things to say about their experience:

This experience for me was very exciting. I learned so much about projecting my voice, a whole bunch of exercises and most importantly that acting should always be simple. This program means a lot to me and I am so grateful for the opportunity. I will always remember Stella Adler for teaching me so much in just four weeks. This experience has changed me because it made me less shy and more open to just be myself.

We learned so much and will keep this for the rest of (our) lives. I am so glad that we got this chance because so many actors who don’t have the financial means to get this training are just stuck at home dreaming…this program just got us a step closer to our dreams.

The Summer Shakespeare program was so amazing. I learned how to use my voice and my body more confidently. I’ve always wanted to pursue acting because it’s my passion but I could never afford it..I am so grateful to everyone who made this opportunity possible.

I lost my on stage fear by being in this program…I will honor this forever. This has helped me to connect with my body…I can proudly admit that I consider myself a new person, a better person.

I learned a lot from this program. I never thought that Shakespeare would be so enjoyable. Shakespeare comes off as a very difficult language, but once you put your heart and mind into the work you’ll be surprised how much you begin to love the beauty of the language.

I feel like I’ve learned so much from this program. I learned acting starts from the inside out – it’s not just your face, but your body, your breathing, your thoughts, everything. This experience has been amazing. I’m grateful to have had this chance.

I’ve learned that always paying constant attention is imperative…This program meant learning more respect and having love for the actor’s craft. I’ve learned that self-esteem, confidence and love of acting are some of the keys to success in this field.

As always, more comments are welcome.

Congratulations to the 2009 Summer Shakespeare Ensemble!