Student Matinee Series:

Macbeth and Romeo & Juliet

Don't read shakespeare. 

Bring your class to the Ohio Shakespeare Festival at Greystone Hall in downtown Akron for a 60 minute production of Macbeth or Romeo & Juliet...or bring us right to your classroom.  This production for students features beautiful costumes, sets, and three main stage OSF actors telling a concise and complete version of Shakespeare's story, using the Bard's words and his best theatrical techniques. No added concepts or gimmicks--this is Shakespeare's story in its purest sense.

Bring us to you school for as little as $300. OSF is committed to working with your school's schedule and budget.

Call 330-374-7574 or fill out the contact form below to inquire about your student tickets.  Be sure to also ask about:

  • Supplementary workshops on verse, staging, combat, and acting
  • Question and answer sessions
  • Behind-the-scenes view
  • Visiting your classroom



"I was never too interested in Shakespeare or his work. I did not know much about him except what little I was told in school. Poetry and plays were never something that caught or kept my attention, and I thought that was all that Shakespeare was about. I decided to go to the workshop and play for the extra credit. Uninterestedly, I went alone, but I did not realize it would change my whole view on experience that I will not soon forget. The Ohio Shakespeare Festival has made me want to further explore Shakespeare and his work...I have never seen a play that has made me laugh like that before...they made it funny and easier to understand." -Student feedback, Lakeland Community College 
"Our students were captivated by their talent and inspired by their enthusiasm...several students asked me when the company could return to Lakeland, explaining that their passion and skill allowed Shakespeare to come “alive” for them for the first time...I share in OSF’s excitement to show students how relevant and compelling Shakespeare’s works are today, and I am grateful that the Lakeland community had the opportunity to interact with such a dedicated group of professionals." 
 --April Mason, professor, Lakeland Community College
"The students haven't stopped talking about their experiences...our director also could not stop talking about what a boost it gave the performers...[she] noticed at our Friday afternoon rehearsal students using the [stage combat] techniques both Joe and Ryan taught them."
--Kelly Ladd, Ruffing Montessori School
"Shakespeare was a freaking GENIUS." 
--Student feedback, Hudson Montessori School

"The movement class was intriguing, and I enjoyed experimenting with transferring tension tangibly between characters.  In the combat class, the instructor was effective and hilarious, and I enjoyed seeing how relatively easy he made it for myself and the rest of the class to get a grasp on the exciting skills. In the prose class, seeing how much instruction is hidden in Shakespeare's works was terribly thrilling.  The concepts of using differing pentameters and predominance of vowels or consonants to give hints to actors will likely remain with me for quite some time.  The play was masterfully done.  I was stunned by the speed and clarity of their character changes, and I applaud their goal (which I think they accomplished that day) to make Shakespeare accessible and exciting."

 --Student feedback, Lakeland Community College

"Today, my seniors experienced Shakespeare the way it's meant to be studied: seen. Thank you Ohio Shakespeare Festival educators, directors, and actors Tess Burgler and Joe Pine for having a BLAST with my students. These are the moments I cherish as a teacher."
--Kaitlyn Dunlap, Dover High School
"Ohio Shakespeare Festival’s generosity to Hudson Montessori School has been invaluable. So many young people have been impressed by good theatre ... What a pleasure to introduce young teenagers to extraordinary talent and authentic theatre experiences!"
--Stephanie Hectorne, Hudson Montessori School


That is the question.

Would you print out and read the screenplay from your favorite movie? No. So why do we study Shakespeare's scripts as if they were novels? If we don’t want students to lose interest in great works of art, why read what’s meant to be seen?  


As a dramatic poet, William Shakespeare originally produced and acted out his work; it was his friends and colleagues who later translated those plays into literature. He never intended it to be written for the elite high society to read. His main goal was to entertain even the lowest classes with his exciting and accessible theatre. 

What better way to inspire students than to let them experience his work through professional, theatrical performances of his plays--the way Shakespeare intended them to be. 

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