Local teen actors each summer have the chance to hone their skills at Geva Theatre's Summer Academy, a professional theatre training program that provides students at all levels of theatre experience with personalized training from professional artists in the industry. The program auditions actors ages 12 to 18 who want to define and develop their theatrical skills, and allows them five weeks in an intensive conservatory, which culminates in a free showcase that's open to the community. This year's focus was Shakespearean — and Shakespeare-inspired — productions, and the showcase will feature scenes and songs from "Equivocation," "Othello," "The Merry Wives of Windsor," "Love's Labour's Lost," "The Merchant of Venice," "Romeo & Juliet," "West Side Story," "Much Ado About Nothing," "Rough Magic," "Henry IV Part 1," "Richard III," "The Book of Will, "and "Once on This Island."
The Summer Academy Showcase will take place on Saturday, August 11, at 1 p.m. at Geva Theatre Center, 75 Woodbury Boulevard. Free. 232-4382; geva.org.