Summer Camp

Join Cincinnati’s most buzzed about professional theater company downtown for Cincinnati Shakespeare Summer Camp! We offer unique & fun programs for beginners to advanced students to engage with the arts. These in-person camps take place at our new theater Monday-Friday 9am-5pm for students who have completed grades 1 up to 12.

Learn About the 2023 High School Weeks Below:

June 5-9, 2023: FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY (High School Grades 9-12)

The greedy characters in Shakespeare’s Timon of Athens will learn their lesson when the wealthy and powerful Timon decides that he is done trusting humanity and friendship. Explore Shakespeare’s most ambiguous play with college-level acting techniques and stage combat, combined with set and costume designs.

June 12-16, 2023: THERE SHE LIES, A PEARL (High School Grades 9-12)

Shakespeare's mythological heroes of Troilus and Cressida are notorious for their narrow-mindedness and shallow nature, qualities which lead to comical adventures. Come play and explore the comedic nuance of character building, especially when characters keep making the same mistakes over and over again. A camp full of physical comedy in acting, dance and stage combat.

Learn About the 2023 Middle School Weeks Below:

June 19-23, 2023: BEWARE, FOR I AM FEARLESS (MIDDLE Grades 6-8)

Revenge is a dish best served cold. Shakespeare’s farcically spooky play, Titus Andronicus, will teach you the ingredients, helping you stir up trouble on the stage. Frighten audiences by making your own frightfully realistic props, and learn the ropes to telling spooky and gory stories with a Frankensteinian spin.

June 26-30, 2023:  A WITTY FOOL OR A FOOLISH WIT (MIDDLE Grades 6-8)

Life can be too serious, so let’s clown around as we explore Shakespeare’s greatest clowns, fools, and jesters. Make ‘em laugh with physical comedy like Much Ado About Nothing’s character, Dogberry. Play the fool, Feste in Twelfth Night, with slap stick clown bits. Explore improvisation, commedia masks performance and craft, comedic stage combat, and dance choreography!

Learn About the 2023 Elementary Weeks Below:

July 10-14, 2023: O BRAVE NEW WORLD! (ELEMENTARY Grades 1-5):

Far away, on a fairytale-like island, enchanting magic and spellbinding sounds take a devious turn thanks to tormented royals, mischievous spirits, and a half-man, half-fish. Meet these magical characters of The Tempest and create your own brave new world by building harpy costumes, Prospero’s magic staff, and Ariel’s wings!

July 17-21, 2023: MIDSUMMER MADNESS (ELEMENTARY Grades 1-5)

Explore the deep and fantastical depths of a magical forest where powerful fairies play tricks each other, lovers hiding in the woods, and amateur actors. Get silly with A Midsummer Night’s Dream and learn how to create the voices of all the fun characters in this play while building your own puppet show!

July 24-28, 2023: ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE (ELEMENTARY Grades 1-5)

Love at first sight? Gross! When a princess is banished, she flees to a forest in disguise and meets a ragtag group of wanderers along the way. What follows is a series of romantic comedy shenanigans and adventure! “Cure” the love sick characters and disguise yourself as fairytale types with theatrical performance, set building, and costume designs as you re-create the world of As You Like It.

Camps are $295 for 1 week, or 2 weeks $500, or all 3 weeks for $700!

For over 20 years, Cincinnati Shakespeare’s Theatre Summer Camp has provided students with a camp experience unlike any in the Tri-State. Campers work with members of Cincinnati Shakespeare’s professional resident ensemble, staging scenes, learning the tricks of the trade, gaining confidence, and often finding an inclusive community of friends that lasts well beyond the summer.

Whether you’ve never stepped on a stage before, or have already been bitten by the acting bug and are looking for a challenge, our camps are the perfect place to learn and improve new skills, make new friends, and have a whole lot of fun!

Questions? Contact Director of Education, Candice Handy at [email protected] or 513-381-2273 x. 3204

FAQs:

I have questions and would like to speak with someone.  Who do I contact?

Director of Education, Candice Handy at [email protected] or 513-381-2273 x. 3204

What is the typical daily schedule for campers?

Camp begins at 9am with warm ups and group theatre games and activities. Then there is a Masterclass topic and workshop each day. These include topics like stage combat, acting techniques, backstage crafts, and more! After lunch the students work in their groups with their director on their theatrical scenes that will be shared with family on Friday at 4pm each week.

What is the camper-to-counselor ratio?

Typically 15-20 students per with 1-3 Teaching Artists each day with many opportunities for small group work and attention.

How much time do the campers spend outside?

Campers have lunch outside in Washington Park each day (weather permitting) as well as the occasional activities outside as well. The majority of camp activities take place in Cincinnati Shakespeare’s new theater on the mainstage, rehearsal rooms, or other spaces in the building.

Does the camp provide lunch/snacks or do parents need to provide them?

Parents need to send their students with a water bottle, lunch, and a snack each day.

How old are the counselors and how are they trained?

Our staff consists of Cincinnati Shakespeare Company Teaching Artists. This group of teachers are all college graduated aged adults or older who have experience as actors, teachers, performers, and/or directors with Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. All Teaching Artists must complete background checks to work at Summer Camp.

How much is camp?

Camps are $295 for 1 week, or 2 weeks $500, or all 3 weeks for $700.

Are there scholarships available?

Yes!  Learn about scholarships opportunities online here and below.

CSC offers two scholarship funds for interested campers. Both scholarship funds intend to assist students for whom the cost of camp is a barrier to participation. The Riah Milton Scholarship specifically prioritizes students demonstrating financial need whose identities have been historically marginalized, with a particular focus on Black, Transgender, nonbinary, and Gender Non conforming individuals. Please select the scholarship opportunity that best applies to you.

The Riah Milton Scholarship
The Jeremy Dubin Scholarship

Interested in supporting these scholarship funds so that more students can experience everything Shakespeare Summer Camp has to offer? Click below to make a gift to the scholarship fund of your choice.
The Riah Milton Scholarship Fund
The Jeremy Dubin Scholarship Fund