鈥淭he concept of the Stella Adler Studio鈥攖hat being a better actor is equal to being a better human鈥攊s the base of this program,鈥� says director Kern McFadden of the Summer Shakespeare program he leads.
Founded by Stella Adler Studio of Acting in 2006, Summer Shakespeare is a five-week theatre intensive for inner-city teens living at or below the poverty level. Watching the 22 students in the class of 2017, the program offers a fairly typical theatre camp-style schedule and culminates in the performance of an abbreviated piece of Shakespeare. This summer the students will put on A Midsummer Night鈥檚 Dream August 11 and 12.
Nicole Onwuka is one of the students in this year鈥檚 program and 惭颈诲蝉耻尘尘别谤鈥檚 Puck. A 17-year-old from Queens, Onwuka participates in her high school鈥檚 theatre courses and extracurriculars during the school year, but craved theatre during her summers. 鈥淓very summer I would feel like I鈥檓 missing something,鈥� she says. 鈥淛une to September it鈥檚 an empty space and I felt I wasn鈥檛 growing enough.鈥�
While Onwuka wanted to expand her knowledge of theatre and cultivate her acting skills, just as McFadden and the Studio intended, Onwuka has become a better actor as a product of her self-discovery. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 expect to learn a lot about myself, [but] I learned a lot about how I am as an actor and as a human,鈥� she says. 鈥淲hen I was little, I did acting because I was very shy. I would hide behind the characters. But really, you鈥檙e not hiding behind the characters, you鈥檙e showing someone else鈥檚 truth, but you have to know your truth first.鈥�
For McFadden, a breakthrough like this is the type of victory he hopes for. 鈥淭he biggest thing is about each individual student finding their voice,鈥� he says. 鈥淲hen you鈥檙e this age, you鈥檙e often reminded to be quiet or that you鈥檙e not important, but letting them find their voice through a character or an [onstage] situation is a big win.鈥�
Each day, he works to foster an environment to help his students trust themselves and each other.
But the director also hopes he makes Shakespeare accessible and relatable for these young actors. 鈥淚t鈥檚 something that was written with everyone in mind,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he reason we do this is to put a mirror up to nature, as Shakespeare says, and bring the world here. So when we see these students open up and think something different,鈥� the program has succeeded.
鈥淚 was kind of scared of [Shakespeare],鈥� admits Onwuka鈥攁nd she is one of the students with previous theatre exposure, unlike many of her peers. McFadden works hard to help his students see the connections of Shakespeare in their own lives and to the world around them.
鈥淛ust that moment of realization is the first step and it鈥檚 terribly exciting,鈥� he says. Looking at the faces of his students, he鈥檚 just a mirror to the world around him.
To learn more about Stella Adler Studio and its programs, visit .
