Shenandoah Conservatory welcomes Actors From The London Stage for a week-long residency that immerses students and the broader community in Shakespearean performance, voice and movement practice, and professional artistry. The residency features multiple performances of William Shakespeare’s “As You Like It,” including a newly added performance at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 14. The production showcases a dynamic staging in which the actors seamlessly inhabit multiple roles, transforming both themselves and the performance space to bring the pastoral comedy to life.

In addition to the fully staged performances, the visiting artists will engage deeply with Shenandoah Conservatory students through a series of classes, workshops and masterclasses designed to connect classical text with contemporary training practices.

Members of Actors From The London Stage will work with first-year acting students in TH-249: Voice and Speech II to support foundational skills such as centering, alignment, breath support and clarity of speech. With students currently preparing Shakespeare sonnets, the workshop will emphasize connecting a free, supported vocal instrument to text while addressing articulation, regional neutrality and expressive oral interpretation.

Extending beyond campus, Actors From The London Stage will lead a workshop with the John Handley High School Drama Club. The session features scene study and collaborative exploration, followed by a Q&A in which the actors share insights into their professional careers, rehearsal processes and life as working artists.

John Handley High School students will also join Shenandoah University acting students on campus for a dialects workshop focusing on the British and Cockney accents.

Additional workshops will support students enrolled in the Performance Styles course, which focuses on vocal and movement techniques across historical periods and theatrical traditions. With students currently studying clowning and farce, the actors will provide practical tools for physical storytelling, heightened performance and stylistic flexibility.

The residency exemplifies Shenandoah Conservatory’s commitment to experiential learning and meaningful engagement with professional artists. By integrating performance, classroom instruction and community outreach, Actors From The London Stage offers students a rare opportunity to encounter Shakespeare as a living, embodied practice — one that bridges tradition, technique and contemporary relevance.

The Performing Arts Live series is supported in part by funding from the Marion Park Lewis Foundation.

This project was supported, in part, by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly.

Performances of William Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” by Actors From The London Stage will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 12, Friday, Feb. 13, and Saturday, Feb. 14, as well as 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 14. Tickets are available for purchase online 24/7 at conservatoryperforms.org. Tickets are available for purchase in person at the Shenandoah Conservatory Box Office located in the Ohrstrom-Bryant Theatre lobby and over the phone at (540) 665-4569 during regular box office hours (Tuesday through Friday from noon to 5 p.m.).