Spoleto Study Abroad’s 2022 Acting & Performance Intensive will focus on Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, and students will hone their skills and strengthen their abilities to be alive in the moment through both rigorous technique and attuned instinct.
As students work to bring their own unique creative perspective to this classic play, they will be instructed by Shana Bestock, who has directed over 200 productions with student ensembles, and overseen over 120 professional productions.
Shana is a native of Seattle, Washington, and has been directing professional and youth theater for over 25 years. Shana served as Seattle Public Theater’s Artistic and Education Director for 15 years, and she founded Penguin Productions, which engages, empowers, and creates artists through creative adventures to fuel our future.
Shana has experience with both classic and contemporary texts, and has worked with Seattle Shakespeare Company, University of Chicago, New City Theater, and many, many more. She has mentored hundreds of students over the course of her agree, and believes in giving students ownership and agency, access to professional resources, rigor, and structure in a culture of inclusiveness, fun, and faith in their ability to succeed beyond their own imaginations.
“I am always hungry for work that simultaneously challenges, stimulates, and entertains,” says Shana. “In a highly mediated world, the performing arts and literature offer an opportunity to rediscover the world, to transform isolation and communication breakdowns into stories that give our lives clarity, confidence, and compassion.”
We are thrilled to welcome Shana Bestock as our 2022 Acting & Performance Intensive faculty!
Applications are NOW OPEN! Apply by December 1 and your $95 application fee will be waived!