Theatre for a New Audience’s internal expertise and rich partnerships with New York City area literary scholars, local theaters, and performance venues allow for the workshop’s integrated approach. Literary scholars guide participants’ deep engagement with assigned plays and scholarship and facilitate a visit to the Rare Book Room and Manuscript Library at Columbia University, where participants are able to physically handle a copy of Shakespeare’s first folio. Teaching artists work with participants on interpretation and performance, which is complimented by their attendance of live Shakespeare plays during New York’s summer theater season.

Survey responses from past participants demonstrate how the workshop equipped educators with the tools to create richer learning experiences in classrooms. Many participants expressed that what they once thought of as “extra enrichment”—such as a focus on the underexplored voices of women in Shakespeare plays or acting out scenes—were now integral parts of their curriculum. One respondent wrote, “What I teach is now more equitable. I teach the women, the minority/marginalized characters and voices’ perspectives.” And another wrote, “My approach to Shakespeare became more integrative: both text close reading and performance-based. Prior to the workshop, I was strictly a text-based instructor of Shakespeare. I did not know how to use performance to enhance learning.”