For students who love to act and perform, New Pond Farm in Redding will be hosting a three-week-long summer camp dedicated to the great works of Shakespeare for middle school and high school age students.As You Like It.As You Like It.To register, visit New Pond Farm's website at newpondfarm.org, click Register and Summer Shakespeare 2017.

New Pond Farm has been utilizing its 102-acre property as an environmental education center and small working farm for the past 30 years. Since 2003, it has also served as the backdrop to Artistic Director Nancy Ponturo's Shakespeare camps.

Ms Ponturo selects all the plays, modifies the scripts, and directs the campers for the summer and winter productions. As an experienced actress, she also teaches the students valuable insight, including how she would approach breaking down a scene and motivation behind characters' actions.

During New Pond Farm's Shakespeare summer camp, campers will perform a lighthearted comedy from the Bard's collection of work. The play that has been selected for this summer is the popular tale

The play was chosen after last year's campers got the opportunity to visit the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival in New York, which performed

It was so well received that Ms Ponturo knew it would be the perfect fit for this summer's camp production.

Before camp officially starts, an audition process is conducted to determine each child's part in the play.

"They are given a monologue or a scene to work on, and they come to New Pond in the middle of June," explained Ms Ponturo. "They meet the other kids that are going to be in the camp, then they perform their audition, so I can cast the play. The play is cast before we start the first day of rehearsal."

Ms Ponturo understands that Shakespeare can be a "learning curve" from some. She assures that even if campers come in a little nervous to tackle Shakespeare, the students will leave knowing their lines effortlessly.

"That first day I hand out the scripts and we sit in a circle and we read out loud," Ms Ponturo explained. "We stop and talk about what's going on in the play and if anybody has any questions. They get a good sense of what they are doing."

Throughout the day, campers will rehearse different scenes or monologues, as well as being taught all things Shakespeare by Enrichment Director Dorothy Luongo.

"Dorothy has mini workshop lectures everyday about Shakespeare and what it was like to be an actor in the Shakespearean days - from what they ate to what their costumes were like. They get a real breadth of information on what it was like when Shakespeare was doing a play," said Ms Ponturo.

Ms Luongo also leads the group in a number of fun games inspired by Shakespeare that help campers learn his unique vernacular.

This all leads up to the end of camp performance at New Pond Farm (or at the Meadow Ridge auditorium in Redding, if it rains).

Ms Ponturo says the shows are always very family friendly. Typically the first half of the performance will be 45 minutes, followed by an intermission, and a 45-minute last act.

"What we have done over the years with actors who have smaller parts is given them a monologue to perform at intermission - it can be from any other play," said Ms Ponturo. "It's their moment to have more lines and focus. We try to give the actors a very well-rounded three-week experience, so that they are always engaged."

No matter how many children sign up, Ms Ponturo says every child will have the opportunity to shine.

"We try to make it so everyone feels valued and that they are getting the best experience," said Ms Ponturo.

New Pond Farm's Shakespeare Camp will begin June 26. The first two weeks will run from 9:30 am to 12:30 for rehearsals and the last week will have extended hours, 9:30 am to 2:30 pm, in preparation for the performance.

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