For Young People - Shaw Festival Theatre

SHSM – Specialist High Skills Major

The Shaw offers both in-person and online skills development opportunities for students which meet requirements of the province of Ontario’s Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) certification programs, through Sector-Partnered Experiences (SPE) with focus on Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship (ICE). This programming provides Experiential Learning and Reach Ahead moments for students in a wide range of specializations, providing valuable skills and insight that can be used to explore career opportunities and transition to post-secondary education or the workforce.

For more information contact [email protected] or call 1-800-657-1106 ext 2995

SHSM at The Shaw

The Shaw Festival offers engaging workshops, talks, and tours tailored for school groups, designed to ignite students’ creativity and deepen their appreciation for theatre. These engaging sessions are led by Shaw professionals and cover acting, voice, movement, design, production, characterization, and more! Students can also enjoy behind-the-scenes tours and insightful pre and post-show talks that provide a glimpse into the world of professional theatre. These activities are not only educational but also a lot of fun, making a day at the Shaw Festival an unforgettable experience for young audiences.

To book, call 1-800-511-7429. For more information contact [email protected] or call 1-800-657-1106 ext. 2995

Which play are you seeing? The Shaw’s Education Department is happy to tailor the workshops to meet the needs of your students, and offers theatre workshops in these subjects:

• Acting
• Choreography
• Movement
• Singing
• Stage Combat – Hand to Hand / Weapons / Falls and Trips
• Scene Study
• Monologues
• Improvisation
• Comedy
• Clown/Mask
• Orchestration for Theatre
• Stage Design
• Props Design and Making
• Special Effects Makeup
• Text Analysis

Download Workshops, Talks & Tours

In Conjunction with Brock University

DART 4Y92: Text, Production, and Performance at the Shaw Festival Theatre

Perspectives on and practical applications of acting, directing, design, and theatrical production in the repertory program of the Shaw Festival Theatre. Workshops, 5 hours per week.
Pre-requisite: DART 3F50
For more information, contact the Brock University Office of the Registrar.

In Conjunction with the University of Toronto

DRE380H5: Repertory Theatre in Practice: The Shaw Festival

A study of the role of repertory theatre in the historical and current development of dramatic literature and performance practices, held on-site at the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. Students will attend productions and lectures, interview actors, directors, designers, and administrators, and collaborate on a performed reading with the assistance of company members. Topics may include the performance history of plays by Shaw, Chekhov, Ibsen, Wilde, and other playwrights within the Festival’s mandate, the analysis of production elements from the perspectives of directors, actors, and designers, and the relevance of “classical” drama for the modern world. Course runs on a biennial basis.
Course Instructor: Dr. Lawrence Switzky
For more information visit https://utm.calendar.utoronto.ca/course/dre380h5, email [email protected] or call 905-828-5201

DRE381H5: Creative Devising

Offered in partnership with the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, this course offers students an opportunity to create a new work collaboratively and without a pre-existing script that responds to one or more of the productions in the Shaw Festival season. During the course students will be in residence at the Shaw Festival and will attend plays, lectures, and discussions, participate in workshops with company actors, and learn skills in research, playwriting, and developmental dramaturgy by working as an ensemble. The devised performance-in-progress will be presented to members of the Shaw Festival company and an invited audience. Enrolled students will be required to complete some reading and independent research prior to the first day of class. Launching in 2027 – more details to come.
For more information, email [email protected] or call 905-828-5201

In Conjunction with Queen’s University

DRAM 371: Modern Drama at the Shaw Festival

Intensive study in the mandate and practice of the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. Students attend several productions at the Shaw Festival, discussing these in seminars and with guest speakers drawn from the Shaw company where available.
NOTE: Student fees for the costs of transportation, accommodations, and Shaw Festival theatre tickets: estimated cost $1,370.
Learning Hours: 120 (36 Seminar, 24 Off-Campus Activity, 60 Private Study)
Units: 3.00
Requirements: Prerequisite Level 3 or above.
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science

DRAM 373: Scene Study at the Shaw Festival 

Intermediate acting course in which a variety of techniques and exercises will be used to explore selected dramatic texts drawn from the mandate of the Shaw Festival – mainly plays written during the lifetime of George Bernard Shaw (1856 to 1950).
NOTE: Taught in Niagara-on-the-Lake during Summer Term. There is a lab fee for this course which includes theatre tickets. Information regarding fee and accommodation is available on the Departmental website.
Learning Hours: 113 (38 Laboratory, 75 Private Study)
Units: 3.00
Requirements: Prerequisite Level 3 or above.
Prerequisite DRAM 371/3.0.
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science