ImprovEd Shakespeare
Get Shakespeare off the sheet and onto your feet.
Start with story. The language follows.
Students explore Shakespeare's stories, characters, and language through movement, improvisation, and collaborative performance, making Shakespeare accessible, engaging, and meaningful for students of all reading and experience levels.
I offer three core programs for PreK–12 students. Each can stand alone or build into a scaffolded experience over multiple visits.
Shakespeare Minutes — PreK–Elementary | 20–60 minutes
Shakespeare Through Story & Play — Elementary–High School | Single session or multi-visit
Shakespeare Residency — Upper Elementary–High School | Short intensive to full semester
Designed to complement classroom instruction and align with Theatre and English Language Arts TEKS. Programs can be adapted to your students, curriculum, and classroom goals.
Not sure what your classroom needs? Tell me what play you're studying, your students' grade level, and what you'd like them to get from the experience. I'll help you find the right fit.
SHAKESPEARE MINUTES | PRE-K to ELEMENTARY
(20-60 mins)
Great for: early literacy, oral language development, sequencing skills
Group size: Facilitated independently for 12–16 students; full classroom groups (up to 25–30) with teacher or staff support
Short, movement-based workshops that introduce students to Shakespeare through full-body storytelling. Students learn monologues or famous quotes by pairing every word with a specific movement, physically embodying meaning as they go.
This word-to-movement approach builds comprehension, vocabulary, and memory through a multisensory process, and is especially effective for emergent bilingual students and students who learn best through movement.
SHAKESPEARE THROUGH STORY AND PLAY | ELEMENTARY to HIGH SCHOOL
(45-60 mins)
Great for: bridging classroom reading with active, embodied understanding
Group size: Facilitated independently for 12–16 students; full classroom groups (up to 25–30) with teacher or staff support
Single session or multi-visit.
Using theatre games and improvisation, students explore the stories, characters, and key moments of whichever play they're already studying in class. By getting on their feet, students investigate plot and character relationships directly, building comprehension and confidence alongside classroom learning.
SHAKESPEARE RESIDENCY | UPPER ELEMENTARY to HIGH SCHOOL
(Short intensive to full semester)
Great for: deep, sustained engagement and a culminating performance
Group size: 12–16 students for ensemble-based work; groups up to 25 possible with teacher or staff support
Students bring a play to life through rehearsal, improvisation, and ensemble work, building understanding by playing with the material rather than analyzing it from the outside.
The residency culminates in a performance drawn from my library of original Shakespeare adaptations, blending modern narration with Shakespeare's own verse so both performers and audience can follow the story in real time.
Programs can be adapted in scope and duration to meet your classroom goals and available funding.
For more details visit: http://improvedshakespeare.com/workshops/book/
Contact:
Andee Kinzy
10111 Oliver Dr., Austin, TX 78737
Telephone: 646-285-6852
Email: andee@improvedshakespeare.com