When Chesapeake Shakespeare Company decided to open a new home in Baltimore, an early goal was to establish an annual production of "Romeo and Juliet" for local school kids. The company started making good on that intention this week.
Between Tuesday and May 12, buses will carry students and teachers -- more than 5,500 in all -- to the theater for matinees of Shakespeare's beloved tragedy, in an abbreviated, 90-minute form. Q&A sessions with the actors will follow each show. Pre- and post-performance activities will also be offered for many of the students.
The company's founding artistic director, Ian Gallanar, said in a statement that "one of the key reasons we built this theater [was] to have a resource like this for the schools in our region." The goal of the annual production is "to plant the seed for future lovers of Shakespeare, theater and language."
Lesley Malin, Chesapeake Shakespeare's managing director, pointed to studies showing "that exposure to live productions of Shakespeare is the best possible way to introduce students to the most important and influential writer in the English language."
Students -- public, private and home-schooled -- are coming from Baltimore City, surrounding counties, the Washington area and Pennsylvania. Donations from various corporations and foundations is making the performances free for many of the students.
A full-length production of "Romeo and Juliet" for the general public opens Friday as part of the company's regular season.