Pictured above: Charles County Arts Alliance Board Member Vicki Marckel (third from left) presents the check for $750 to Westlake High School representatives (from left) Marie Westhall, James Mascia and Ruth Carter. Photo courtesy of Charles County Arts Alliance.
Waldorf, MD – On December 10, 2015, the Charles County Arts Alliance presented a check in the amount of $750 to Westlake High School to support a unique educational partnership between the Westlake English Department and the renowned Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, DC. The partnership was the brainstorm of English Teacher James Mascia.
Approximately 80 Westlake students will be reading the play ‘ORothello’ by William
Shakespeare, and attending workshops at Westlake presented by Shakespeare
Theatre Company teaching artists. When the students have finished reading and
analyzing the play, they will be tasked with researching and putting together a scene (including sets, costumes, directing, acting, etc.) to perform onstage, first at Westlake High School, and then at the Shakespeare Theatre Company.
Arts Alliance President Robert Rausch stated, “We are proud to be supporting this very unique and innovative educational experience for Westlake High School students in Charles County. The students will not only delve into the world of Shakespeare and perform ‘Othello’ onstage at Westlake, but also have the rare and exciting opportunity to perform it onstage at the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s own theater in Washington, DC.”
Founded in 1986, the critically acclaimed, award-winning Shakespeare Theatre
Company has dedicated itself to becoming the nation’s premier classic theatre.
Originally named the Shakespeare Theatre at the Folger Shakespeare Library, the
Shakespeare Theatre Company’s first production, ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ directed by
Michael Kahn, opened in 1986. In 1992, it moved to its new performance space – the larger, more adaptable 451-seat Lansburgh Theatre located in Washington’s Penn Quarter neighborhood. In 2007, it opened 774-seat Sidney Harman Hall, featuring a flexible stage that can accommodate theatre, dance, music and film. Together, the Lansburgh Theatre and Sidney Harman Hall comprise the Harman Center for the Arts, a dynamic hub of activity that showcases the Shakespeare Theatre Company as well as outstanding local performing arts groups and nationally-ranked theatrical organizations.
The mission of the Charles County Arts Alliance is to stimulate, promote, encourage
and provide recognition of the arts and the creative spirit in Charles County. For more info on the Arts Alliance and becoming a member, contact the CCAA office at 301-392-5900, info@charlescountyarts.org, or www.charlescountyarts.org.
