Friends Of Montana Shakespeare In The Parks

PROMOTE AND SUPPORT THE PROGRAMS OF MONTANA SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARKS, WHICH IS AN EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH PROGRAM OF MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY.

FRIENDS OF MONTANA SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARKS PROMOTES AND SUPPORTS THE PROGRAMS OF MONTANA SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARKS (MSIP), WHICH IS AN EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH PROGRAM OF MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY. SUPPORT IS PROVIDED THROUGH FUNDRAISING AND SERVES THE POPULATION OF RESIDENTS IN THE 61-TOWN TOURING AREA ON THE FIVE-STATE SUMMER TOUR, THE K-12 STUDENTS IN MONTANA AND WYOMING SERVED BY SHAKESPEARE IN THE SCHOOLS AND MONTANA SHAKES!. FRIENDS OF MONTANA SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARKS ALSO SUPPORTED MSIP THROUGH TWO DIRECT MAIL CAMPAIGNS, A GIVING DAY CAMPAIGN, AN IN-PERSON BENEFIT EVENT, AND BY SECURING SEVERAL PROGRAM GRANTS.SUMMER TOUR: THE 11-WEEK SUMMER PARKS TOUR BROUGHT FREE PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCES OF KING LEAR & TWELFTH NIGHT TO RESIDENTS IN 61 COMMUNITIES, CONSISTING OF 22,647 AUDIENCE MEMBERS ACROSS FIVE STATES (MT, ID, ND, WY, AND WA).SHAKESPEARE IN THE SCHOOLS: BROUGHT AN 80-MINUTE ADAPTATION OF MACBETH TO 50 MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS, CONSISTING OF 11,127 STUDENTS AND 940 ADULTS ACROSS MT AND WY. DURING ONE-DAY RESIDENCIES THE CAST OF 8 ACTOR/EDUCATORS FOLLOW THE PERFORMANCE WITH A SERIES OF IN-DEPTH WORKSHOPS THAT PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH AN IN-DEPTH EXPLORATION OF THEATRICAL ELEMENTS.MONTANA SHAKES!: MODELED AFTER SHAKESPEARE IN THE SCHOOLS, BUT ADAPTED FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS, ENGAGED YOUNGEST AUDIENCES IN SHAKESPEARE AT A TIME WHEN THEY ARE MOST RECEPTIVE TO LEARNING. THE TOUR BROUGHT AN ADAPTATION OF SHAKESPEARE TO 61 SCHOOLS, CONSISTING OF 10,233 STUDENTS AND 733 ADULTS, IN MT AND WY, FOLLOWED BY INTERACTIVE THEATRICAL WORKSHOPS.FRIENDS OF MONTANA SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARKS SUPPORTS THE ONLY PROFESSIONAL THEATRE TOURING PROGRAM IN THE REGION THAT PRODUCES SHAKESPEARES PLAYS, THE ONLY COMPANY THAT OFFERS ITS PERFORMANCES FREE TO THE PUBLIC, ENSURING ACCESSIBILITY TO ALL, AND THE ONLY COMPANY IN AMERICA REACHING AS EXTENSIVELY INTO RURAL AREAS. MONTANA AND ITS SURROUNDING STATES ARE LARGELY RURAL AND UNDERSERVED. THROUGH ALL OF THE PROGRAMS, FRIENDS OF MONTANA SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARKS HELPS TO SUPPORT A COMMUNITY AND REGION-WIDE NEED FOR HIGH-QUALITY THEATRICAL PROGRAMS AND EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH NOT MET BY OTHER THEATRE COMPANIES. BY PROVIDING PROFESSIONAL, CLASSICALPRODUCTIONS FREE OR AT A REASONABLE COST, AND BY BRINGING PERFORMANCES TO COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS ACROSS A FIVE-STATE REGION, MONTANA SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARKS HELPS TO BREAK DOWN ANY OBSTACLE THAT MAY KEEP THOSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO FROM EXPERIENCING PROFESSIONAL THEATRE. EIGHTY PERCENT OF COMMUNITIES REACHED BY MONTANA SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARKS HAVE POPULATIONS OF 10,000 OR FEWER. SIXTY-SEVEN PERCENT HAVE POPULATIONS OF 5,000 OR FEWER. WITHOUT SUPPORT FROM FRIENDS OF MONTANA SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARKS, MSIP, MONTANA SHAKES!, OR SHAKESPEARE IN THE SCHOOLS WOULD HAVE NO OPPORTUNITY TO BRING PROFESSIONAL, THEATRICAL EXPERIENCES TO THESE COMMUNITIES.