Come one, Come all to the Greatest Show on Earth! We will kick-off our summer program with a rousing week-long exploration of the theatrical world of the circus. Professional Boston area circus artists will lead classes each day in circus skills such as clowning, juggling, tumbling, spinning plates, hula hoops, acrobatics, Chinese yo-yo, and more! In partnership with Cirque Us, students will learn the skill and storytelling involved in contemporary circus performance. All together, making for a three-ring circus of an experience!

Families are invited to join us under the big top at 2:00 p.m. on the last afternoon for a sharing of the week’s learning.

Now for Grades 4 - 8! Limited spaces still available!! In this program students will have a chance to experience the whole production experience from beginning to end! Students will design, produce, and perform a short, one-act play inspired by tales of mythic proportion! Students will spend part of each day developing and rehearsing the one-act while also building individual and ensemble acting skills. In the afternoons, students will receive instruction from visiting theatre design artists and try their hand at technical theatre elements such as prop-making, set, and costume design. A final performance demonstration for family and friends will take place at 2:30 p.m. on the last day of class.

About the Show: Everyone knows the myth of Pandora: she opened up a box and released a ton of evils into the world. What was her motivation? Now we know: her feet were cold, and she was just looking for some socks! While she hunts for something to warm her feet, Pandora meets favorite characters from Greek mythology—including Midas, Icarus, Narcissus, Heracles, Prometheus, and the gods!

This program is sold out. Email wfted@bu.edu to be added to a waitlist. This program focuses on coordinating the instruments of voice and body to create dynamic musical characters. In this 3 week program, students will participate in classes on acting, dancing, singing, and puppetry each morning, while spending each afternoon applying those to the rehearsal of the musical Willy Wonka. This program is open to anyone interested in deepening their musical theatre experience. The program will culminate in a 7 p.m.Thursday evening performance the final week.

About the Show: Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka JR. follows enigmatic candy manufacturer Willy Wonka as he stages a contest by hiding golden tickets in five of his scrumptious candy bars. Whomever comes up with these tickets will win a free tour of the Wonka factory, as well as a lifetime supply of candy. Four of the five winning children are insufferable brats, but the fifth is a likeable young lad named Charlie Bucket, who takes the tour in the company of his equally amiable grandfather. The children must learn to follow Mr. Wonka's rules in the factory — or suffer the consequences. (from MTIshows.com)

This program is a dynamic immersion in the theatre crafts that are vital to professional stage productions. This course balances theory with practical experience through the study of scenic, prop, costume, lighting, and sound design. Students will work with WFT’s professional technical staff during this three-week intensive, designing and building technical elements for a number of WFT’s Summer Productions such as Willy Wonka & Shakespeare on the Green. Work will be shared at the final performances of each production.

This program continues the tradition of Shakespeare in the Park with students performing an abridged version of As You Like It on the WFT@BU green. Students will decode the sometimes perplexing language of Shakespeare to find meaning, humor, and more behind the words. Students will delve into some of the Bard’s most famous scenes and characters, making connections with their own experiences. Families are invited to bring a blanket or lawn chair and join us on the green for this classic tale. The program culminates in a 6:30pm performance on the final Friday of the program.

About the show: Shakespeare's classic comedy of romance and mistaken identity. Frederick has usurped the dukedom from his older brother. Their daughters, Rosalind and Celia, are best friends, and when one is banished from court, they both flee to the Forest of Arden, disguising themselves as country folk. But they're not the only ones fleeing to the forest! Soon this refuge becomes a haven for the lessons of love, complicated by disguise and circumstance -- but ending happily despite everything.

In this program students will put their acting skills to work as they develop and rehearse short scenes with fellow classmates. Understanding the meaning and given circumstances of a scene, as well as their character’s objective, will be emphasized. Students will collaboratively create original work. Learning how to both give and take direction will be an important part of the work, as well. A final demonstration for family and friends will take place at 2:30p.m. on the last day of class.