In 2006, Laura Howell turned her dream of teaching Shakespeare full time into a reality. Prior to this, Howell was working as a theater teacher at Lancaster County Day School, where she taught Shakespeare to high school students. It was at this time that she noticed how excited students were about Shakespeare and how the language and the plays themselves empowered the students.
Luckily, Howell was in a position where she could open a theater dedicated to Shakespeare, so she founded The People's Shakespeare Project. The theater group started as a college performance company and performed during the summer at Elizabethtown College. After a couple years went by, the group moved to Millersville University and staged plays outside during the summer.
The People's Shakespeare Project has two arms: an educational and a performative. Camp Will falls under the educational arm. Camp Will started in 2008 and was only for students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. After the students begged Howell to widen the age group, she gave in and set up two sections: one for middle-schoolers and another for high-schoolers.
Due to the pandemic, The People's Shakespeare Project was completely virtual last year. "We kept the theater going," explained Howell. "We had a small group of high school students, and Zoom worked well, so we're doing it again."
The People's Shakespere Project will offer one session of Camp Will to rising eighth- through 12th-graders from Monday, July 12, to Friday, July 30. Given the likelihood that many students are tired of Zoom, Howell and her co-workers are redesigning Camp Will in ways that they think will make the camp more palatable online. Students will record an abridged version of "Twelfth Night" within three weeks, and it will stream on YouTube with every actor tuning in via Zoom on July 30 at 7:30 p.m. The People's Shakespeare Project has executed three virtual plays, all of which can be seen on its YouTube channel. Streaming is free to viewers, but donations are welcome.
There are some silver linings to Camp Will being virtual. Thanks to Zoom, different guest artists from all over the world will teach every day. "We have people tuning in from New Orleans, Massachusetts, and even Turkey!" exclaimed Howell. "Kids will have incredible educational and performative opportunities."
Howell believes that a lot of students, especially high-schoolers, have learned to be afraid of Shakespeare. "I feel that if they put themselves out there and experience Shakespeare the way it's supposed to be - by living, breathing, speaking, and acting it - kids will latch onto Shakespeare and love it because there's power in these words," said Howell.
The People's Shakespeare Project offers scholarships to students who need financial assistance to attend Camp Will. Enrollment is limited to 14 students. "We want to give the kids personal attention," explained Howell. "It's important that the kids get a good education and have fun at the same time."
For more information about Camp Will, visit https://peoplesshakespeareproject.org. Those interested in watching past virtual performances can search for "The People's Shakespeare Project" at http://www.youtube.com.
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