“No Kidding” Programs for Adults

Drama Programs—for grown-ups!

No Kidding SHAKESPEARE CAMP for Adults 2026

Dates: July 20 – 27, 2026

Ever wanted to live the life of a Shakespearean actor? Now’s your chance!

Join us for a thrilling week of collaboration, workshops, and stagecraft as we work to produce a staged reading of William Shakespeare’s classic comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. All experience levels welcome. Suitable for participants ages 18 and up. Registration for Summer 2026 begins in December 2025.

SAMPLE SCHEDULE

Monday, July 20: Meet at the Blackfriars Playhouse at noon for introductions and opening activities (including a read-through of our script).
During the Week:

9am: Yoga (optional, but encouraged!)
10am – 12pm: Workshops and lessons
12 – 2pm: Lunch break
~2 – 5pm: Rehearsal
~5 – 7pm: Dinner break
7pm Thursday & Friday: doors open at the playhouse, enjoy our Summer Season! Watch our professionals, and join us for the post-show talkback on Thursday evening.

Saturday: Rehearsal in the morning, and then participants have a choice: take the rest of the day off to rest/explore Staunton, or see both Summer season shows again.
Sunday, July 26: Performance Day! We perform our staged reading in the Blackfriars Playhouse in the evening.
Monday, July 27: Sonnets in the morning, farewells by noon.

TUITION INFO

Day Camp rate: $1,300 (covers instruction and show tickets)

Residency rate: $2,300 (covers instruction and show tickets as well as lodging and breakfast at Hotel 24 South)

Shakespeare Camp discounts are always available for teachers. Email education@americanshakespearecenter.com for details.

Register Now!

Adult Learning: ASC Inside Plays

Ages: 18+

Details: In partnership with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UVA (in-person), and Duke Continuing Studies Programs (Virtual) this course offers students introductory historical and contemporary context for each of the plays in the ASC’s artistic seasons. Participants will come away from our meetings with more knowledge and insight about each play and the artists behind each production. Courses are offered in Spring (March-April), covering all titles in the ASC’s production calendar.

Topics covered in each interactive discussion-based class meeting will include: 

-The history of the play and its author(s) 

-The play’s performance history

-Behind the scenes insights into our current production

-Current events and themes in conversation with our production 

ABOUT ASC “NO KIDDING” Programs

Become part of ASC’s repertory! Join in the fun and perform on the Blackfriars stage along with ASC Education Artists and other special guests. “No Kidding” programming happens throughout the year, where adult theatre lovers meet to read, rehearse, and perform classic plays.

No Kidding Shakespeare Camp:

This special weeklong program happens once each summer. Adult thespians (18 and up) of all experience levels are invited to spend a week strutting and fretting their hour on the stage in a program that blends performance training with academic enrichment. You will get a crash course in all the skills that ASC actors use in professional productions in a low-stakes, “Renaissance-style” (meaning ensemble-directed), week-long rehearsal process culminating in a staged reading performance on the Blackfriars stage.

No Kidding Drama Club:

The No Kidding Drama Club meets to read and rehearse a classic play once a week over the course of one month, with a final staged reading at the Blackfriars Playhouse on the last day. Sessions happen throughout the year; see below for information on the next session. All experience levels are welcome. See below for tuition and registration details for specific upcoming sessions.

No Kidding Book Club:

(Taking a brief pause. We’ll be back around the table again soon — stay tuned for updates.) This free program hosted by the Staunton Public Library features a unique format of reading/listening to scenes and engaging in lively discussions from a curated reading list featuring Shakespeare, his contemporaries, and nonfiction works related to the Renaissance.

Suitable for participants aged 18+

Questions? Please email education@americanshakespearecenter.com