The Romeo and Juliet Project

What is The Romeo and Juliet Project?

This spring, TSC brought Romeo and Juliet to life for every ninth-grade student at Bartlett, Ridgeway, and Kirby High Schools as part of The Romeo and Juliet Project. Every freshmen class received three visits from a TSC Teaching-Artist who moved the text off the page to create an active encounter with the play.

The Romeo and Juliet Project has two life-changing, even life-saving, goals:

1) To bolster interest and engagement in classical literature, sparking a life-long love affair with reading while strengthening both comprehension and self-confidence.

2) To create positive social change in each school's learning community. We do this by exploring three central themes within the play that profoundly affect Memphis youth:

• Armed Violence;
• Peer Pressure; and
• Decision-Making in the absence of adult role models.

Over the course of three sessions, students develop language to articulate their feelings, gain greater empathy and compassion for one another, and explore life-saving alternatives to resolving conflicts violently.

What are Teachers and Students Saying?

"I can't believe how into it the students are. They're really going beneath the surface and getting to the issues in this play. The way TSC teachers highlight how the story relates to the students' lives is amazing. What TSC is doing is amazing. The whole project is just amazing!"
- Barb Gelb, Director of Education & Outreach, ArtsMemphis

"This is the most enjoyable class ever. I wish you could teach the entire play!"
- Freshman English Student, Bartlett High School

"Because my students had the privilege to watch the actors in action, the play truly came alive for them during our subsequent reading of the play. The program has benefitted countless students, and I sincerely hope that it can continue its impact."
- Morgan Byrd, Freshman English Teacher, Bartlett High School

How Can I Get Involved?

Our work in the three target schools was so successful that we want to expand and bring this life-saving message to even more students throughout Memphis in Fall 2013. The Romeo and Juliet Project is funded in part by ArtsMemphis, but you can help ensure our success in the classroom by becoming a Project Sponsor.

Your sponsorship helps fund this exciting outreach endeavor, further guaranteeing that no student or school will EVER have to pay to participate. As our "thank you," your minimum sponsorship of $50.00 entitles you to receive the exclusive Romeo and Juliet Project T-Shirt. Sizes are limited, so hurry for best selection!

Download a Sponsorship Form

Contact Stephanie Shine for more information at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (901) 759-0604.

'The Apparel Oft Proclaims the Man' Costume Exhibit to Come March 18

“The Apparel Oft Proclaims the Man” – A “Shakespeare Uncovered” Costume Exhibit

March 18-April 12
WKNO Digital Media Center
7151 Cherry Farms Road in Cordova
901-458-2521

Back by popular demand, WKNO and Tennessee Shakespeare Company (TSC) host a Shakespearean Costume Exhibit as a companion for the PBS series Shakespeare Uncovered. The exhibit is curated by TSC designer Bruce Bui. Admission is free. The exhibit is open Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., March 18-April 12.

The 6-part PBS series Shakespeare Uncovered will return in an all-day marathon on Memorial Day on WKNO/Channel 10.

Shakespeare Uncovered is made possible by The National Endowment for the Humanities and the generous support of the project's lead foundation sponsor, The Howard and Abby Milstein Foundation. Major funding is also provided by Rosalind P. Walter, The Polonsky Foundation, Virginia and Dana Randt, The LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust, and PBS.

TSC's Hamlet plays in an elegant Edwardian production at Memphis' Dixon Gallery and Gardens

TSC's Hamlet plays in an elegant Edwardian production
at Memphis' Dixon Gallery and Gardens

Memphis, TN (February 25, 2013) – – Tennessee Shakespeare Company (TSC), the Mid-South's professional classical theatre, presents a special, limited engagement of William Shakespeare's Hamlet inside Dixon Gallery and Garden's Winegardner Auditorium from April 3-14 in Memphis.

Directed by TSC's Founder and Producing Artistic Director, Dan McCleary (The Tempest, Glass Menagerie, Macbeth, Othello, Julius Caesar, A Midsummer Night's Dream, As You Like It), this elegant Edwardian production is generously sponsored by Independent Bank and Ann & Wellford Tabor. The exclusive media sponsor is Commercial Appeal Media.

Read more: TSC's Hamlet plays in an elegant Edwardian production at Memphis' Dixon Gallery and Gardens

WKNO and TSC hosting costume exhibit and documentary screening

WKNO and TSC hosting costume exhibit and documentary screening

WKNO-TV/FM and Tennessee Shakespeare Company (TSC) are inviting the public to the WKNO Digital Media Center on Sunday, January 20 at 2:00 p.m. for a one-hour documentary viewing and unveiling of a new Shakespearean costume exhibit, curated by TSC designer Bruce Bui. The exhibit and screening accompany the upcoming PBS series Shakespeare Uncovered. Tickets are free but limited, and can be reserved at wkno.org.

Read more: WKNO and TSC hosting costume exhibit and documentary screening